


Stolen Lives Returned

by StoriesbyReese



Series: Carter Magnus [1]
Category: Sanctuary (TV), Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Ancients, Crossover, Drama, Established Relationship, F/F, Family, Fluff, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25975429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoriesbyReese/pseuds/StoriesbyReese
Summary: In one alternate reality out of the billions possible, Helen Magnus deals with losing the life The Cabal stole from her, but just as she is at her lowest she learns that Ashley wasn't the only child taken from her. The Ancients stole from her as well. Samantha "Sam" Carter has had a lot of weird stuff happen to her because of her work with the Stargate. Can past experiences help her now that she's faced with saving a family she didn't even know she had?This is a Sanctuary / Stargate SG-1 crossover story.
Relationships: Ashley Magnus & Helen Magnus, Samantha "Sam" Carter & Ashley Magnus, Samantha "Sam" Carter & Helen Magnus, Samantha "Sam" Carter/Janet Fraiser
Series: Carter Magnus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885318
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

Time off for Major Samantha Carter of the U.S. Air Force, secretly assigned to Stargate Command, was a rarity. It was even more of a rarity to have time off at the same time as Doctor (Major) Janet Fraiser, also of the U.S. Air Force and Chief Medical Officer of Stargate Command, who just happened to be her lover and best friend. After nearly loosing Janet to a Jaffa ambush on P3X-666 Sam had realized just how much her best friend really meant to her. The fear Sam had felt as she’d ran through the base to get the goa’uld healing device to use after that limp dick Warner had given up on Janet, would haunt Sam for the rest of her life. Whatever it was inside of her that allowed the device to work, Sam used it all and then some to heal Janet, not stopping until her own body gave out on her. Teal’c had caught her before she could hit the floor. Daniel sat with a now critical but stable Janet while Sam spent time in her own infirmary bed, and then an hour getting yelled at for risking her life, and thanked for saving Janet’s, by Hammond and Jack. Once she was able to, Sam stayed at Janet's bedside vowing to tell Janet how she felt if only she'd wake up and live. Sam's face, her smile and her bright tear glimmering eyes were the first thing Janet saw when she finally regained consciousness. During Janet's recovery the two finally talked, admitting feelings, and trying to figure out what to do with them. They both came to the realization that if they were going to continue risking their lives day in and day out, they wanted to be risking them for something more than just everybody else in galaxy.

When Sam and Janet threatened to resign their commissions and leave the SGC several people with the president's ear convinced him to stop sitting on the right thing to do, and actually make some policy changes. The two blissful weeks they were spending alone in a private resort in Morocco was a gift from Daniel to mark the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell. They'd done a little of the tourist thing but given the amount of time Sam had been off world lately they spent the better part of their vacation in their room, not going far from their luxurious Moroccan bed. Sleep had taken them just over an hour ago, just after the sun had risen. Janet was asleep with her head pillowed on Sam's chest. Sam's arms held her close and tight, always protective of her even in their sleep.

He appeared in the room and instantly felt guilty for intruding on their privacy, but time was of the essence. Samantha's help was needed and he knew that neither she nor the one he needed her to help would be willing to do anything until they knew the truth, and he needed to tell them before the others found out what he was doing. Taking a step closer to the bed he called out, "Samantha."

She had felt something, sensed something in her sleep, long before she picked up on the sound of her name, so Sam was already returning to awareness. The sound of a strange man's voice was the final confirmation she needed to snap awake completely. She reacted on instinct and training, her body springing into readiness for a fight. Her only mission; protect Janet. The man standing a few feet away from the end of the bed was tall; two maybe three inches taller than her, and slender with an average build. His hair was longish for a man's, kind of like Daniel's in the early days, only blonde and kind of wavy. His eyes were a pale gray. His clothes seemed to be linen, loose, and soft, the trousers tan and the shirt an off white. There was something oddly familiar about him, something soft and kind about his face, but that didn't make Sam relax at all. She longed for a weapon but didn’t have one so she would have to make do. She tensed, ready to tackle the man at a moment’s notice. "Who the hell are you? How did you get in here? What are you doing here?"

He gave her a soft apologetic smile, his hands held out in a way to show her he was unarmed and no threat. "Forgive my intrusion Samantha."

Janet stirred, her own Air Force training and experience kicking in. "Sam? What's going on?"

"It's alright." Sam said as she tried to keep Janet behind her, while keeping them both covered by the sheets and blankets on the bed.

Dark eyes scanned the room and went wide when Janet spotted their visitor. "What the hell?"

"I was just about to explain, Doctor Fraiser." The man said softly. "My name is Thomas. I believe your friend Daniel knows my friend Oma."

Only Janet would notice Sam's sharp intake of breath when realization hit. The almost ethereal look and feel of him, reminded Sam of Daniel when he’d been ascended, and of Orlin. "You're an ascended Ancient."

"Yes." Thomas replied with a pleased, perhaps an even proud smile. "Once, and again. But what I am is only a small part of why I am here. Your help is greatly needed, Samantha. Only you have the knowledge, skills and experience to save someone by saving the life of the one she loves most."

Sam looked confused and flustered. There was an old dispassionate alien being standing in her hotel room, standing there looking at her while she and Janet sat there naked beneath the sheets, asking for her help? Couldn't she ever just have one moment of normal in her life? Apparently not. "In case you haven't noticed I'm on vacation from saving lives this week."

"And you've more than earned the rest." Thomas responded. "You have both certainly waited more than long enough for this time together, and if this wasn't so important, I wouldn't be here, but she needs you Samantha."

She couldn't help herself. It was just who she was. There was just something in Sam that made her ask, "Who needs my help?"

Thomas hesitated. He knew he would have to tell her the truth, tell them both the truth, and he knew there would be consequences for his actions.

The hesitation didn't sit well with Sam. Whatever Thomas was about to say she wasn't going to like it. She felt Janet wrap her fingers around her hand and that helped to steel her against what was coming. "Who needs my help so badly that you're breaking the no interference rule?"

"Your mother." Thomas answered.

The words hit Sam like a zat blast. A flood of emotion swirled around like a sudden storm and for a moment Sam couldn't breathe, she was drowning, and then she felt Janet's hand squeeze hers. "My mother's dead. She died when I was twelve."

"Debra Carter was a good woman, a good mother." Thomas said sympathetically. "She loved you, Samantha, with all her heart and soul. They couldn't have chosen better, but Debra Carter was not your biological mother."

The pain in Sam's chest rivaled that of feeling Jolinar die inside her. "I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing at, but you need to leave. Now!"

"I'm sorry Samantha." Thomas replied softly. "I can't do that."

Thomas reached a hand towards Sam. There was a brief flare of warm light and then Sam convulsed. Janet felt fear rush through her, but her doctor's training kicked in and she helped to lay Sam back. She held her face, and gently called out her name until Sam stilled. She was unconscious, her eyes moving rapidly behind her closed lids. Turning angry dark eyes on Thomas, Janet demanded, "What did you do to her?!"

“I have not harmed her, Doctor Fraiser.” Thomas reassured the angry and frightened woman. “I am merely sharing something with her.” 

_Fear, panic, and pain weighed on him like boulders. He watched, helpless to do more than beg. "Please! Please! Morgan, you cannot do this!" He pleaded as he watched the glowing woman in white stand beside the beautiful Victorian cot, a gift from him that had made her pricing blue eyes sparkle like sapphires. "She is but a child! An innocent!" He approached her, grabbed her arm, and forced her to look at him and not the babe in the cot. "She is human!"_

_"Do not blame me for this." Morgan replied as she stared into his eyes angrily. "You have done this. You have interfered in a most grieves way. I am undoing your mistakes."_

_He felt the warmth of another presence in the room and turned to see whom else they had sent. A cooling balm of relief washed over him when he saw her, "Oma! Oma please!"_

_"She will be a beckon in the oncoming storm." Oma said gently._

_The two women looked at each other for several long moments before Morgan nodded. She turned back to the cot and reached for the baby girl it held. Blonde hair looked golden as the sleeping girl continued to slumber peacefully in Morgan's arms. She smiled down at the girl, but any softness was lost when Morgan looked back at him._

_"You cannot do this!" He repeated, his eyes full of tears that cascaded down his cheeks unashamedly. "You cannot take her from here! From her!"_

_He watched helplessly as Morgan disappeared with the baby. He crumbled to his knees and hung his head as he wept. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Oma, his pain reflected back to him in her gaze. This was the best she could do to help him._

_"She will be placed on the path that will most greatly brighten her light so that she may be our beacon in the storm." Oma said gently. "But they need not suffer for your sins."_

_He watched as Oma moved to the large bed across from the fireplace. It was old, as old as she is knowing her. It was large, far too large for her alone. Alone, it looked to swallow her up in a tide of satin and silk. The dying light from the fire reflected off her perfect skin and dark hair, giving her a glow that was so much warmer and more alive than any of the others. Ascension paled in comparison to her. Oma touched her, caressed her as a mother caresses a sleeping child and it brought him no comfort only more pain. She would not remember him nor the child, the beautiful little girl born of love and light. Samantha, their Samantha._

Sam bolted upright gasping for breath as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Sam?" Janet called to her as relief washed over her. It had only been minutes, but every second Sam was out cold was filled with painful uncertainty. Nothing Janet did would wake her and Thomas refused to give her any further explanation as to what was happening to Sam. 

Sam's wide eyes locked onto the man still standing several feet from their bed. She gasped in a breath before asking, "What the hell was that?"

"The truth." Thomas answered. "A memory."

"Yours." Sam said as she held tightly to Janet's hand, needing to feel grounded in the reality of who she was, who they were, the here and now.

"Yes." Thomas nodded. The pain in his eyes was just as it had been in the memory. 

Sam's heart squeezed painfully in her chest as she sat there gaping at him as she tried to sort out what she was feeling, what she had been made to feel, and what she was being expected to believe. One would think she'd be used to experiencing other people's emotions and memories but really that isn't something anyone gets use too. "If any of this is true, and I'm not saying I believe a word of it, because I don't, that would mean… That would mean your… If that woman, in the memory, if she's meant to be my mother than that means you're my…"

"Father." Thomas said with a nod.

This was all too much. Sam refused to believe any of this crap. Her father was Jacob Carter. Her mother was Debra Carter. She didn't know what the Ancients were playing at, but she was putting a stop to it.

"I wish there were more time to help you understand, Samantha." Thomas said with genuine sympathy. "But we don't have the luxury of time. I must reunite you with your mother before the others discover what I am doing. Plus, the longer I spend trying to convince you of the truth, the harder it will be for you to save your sister's life."

"Sister?" Sam asked in a daze.

"Half-sister." Thomas clarified. He began walking towards the bed, towards Sam, and he smiled, as Janet became the protector just as Sam had tried to protect her when he first appeared. "It's alright Doctor Fraiser, I would never dream of not including you. I'm sure Samantha will require your support and your medical expertise will prove invaluable."

As he walked, he shifted into the pure light being Sam had seen on Kheb, and in her own living room, and again when Daniel died. It came towards them and instantly Sam threw her body around Janet's protectively. The light blinded her as they were enveloped in warmth, and for a moment nothing existed, it was just pure blinding nothingness.


	2. Chapter 2

She was still as beautiful as the day he first saw her all those years ago and it had nothing to do with her longevity. Helen Magnus was a stunning woman, a brilliant woman, and a courageous and bold woman. How could he not have fallen in love with her? He still loved her. Being forced to leave her life, to watch her from a distance, had been a part of his punishment. While not being able to be in her life had been painful, he had actually been able to take some solace in watching over her. It’s how he knew she needed him, needed him to make things right. The pain he saw her going through was too much for him to cope with. He could no longer standby and do nothing, not anymore. Stepping out into the moonlight he spoke her name for the first time since the night Samantha was taken from them, and he’d been forced out of her life, out of her memory. "Helen."

Helen turned from the view of Old City to see who had called out her name. She knew instantly that she didn't know the voice, and as she took the man in, she knew she didn't know his face either. Her reflexes were quick and before he could draw another breath, she had her gun on him. Since the Cabal's attack whenever Helen ventured out of her study, she always had a weapon on her, even in her own home. It was just one more thing to hate them for. "Who are you? How the bloody hell did you get in here?"

"You don't remember me, Helen." Thomas said as he took a careful step closer to her. She always did love standing on the edge of the tower's parapet. That square block of mortar and stone was her sanctuary within her Sanctuary. "But you will."

This would alert the others to what he was doing. He would have to work hard at avoiding them until he could see it all through to its conclusion, but it was worth it. Thomas moved closer. Helen's gaze never left him; the aim of her gun never wavered. He reached for her and she fired but it went right through him. He took hold of her forearm, and with his free hand reached out to press his fingers to her temple. He was glowing softly as he smiled at her and said, "Remember, Helen."

Helen went limp and he caught her. He held her in his arms protectively for a long moment before laying her down on the roof, propping her up carefully against the cool stonewall. Reaching out he brushed hair from her face before caressing her cheek. "Take back what was stolen from you."

_Helen picked up the newspaper from the silver tray her manservant had brought her morning tea on. She sighed and shook her head as her sharp blue eyes scanned the headlines. It was going to be a long summer full of upheaval and unrest a long time coming. Helen had been around long enough now to sense the shifting tides in the former colony she now called home. Setting the paper aside Helen reached for her tea just as the door to her study opened to admit her young new protégé, Barney, who grumbled at her manservant who offered him tea._

_"Coffee, Fuzzy." Barney complied. "Coffee."_

_"There's no time." Helen said after sipping her Earl Grey. The Big Guy, so named by her last protégé, had been with her for a while now but still couldn't manage a decent cup of tea. Well, at least it was somewhat consumable, and she no longer flinched with each sip, so there was improvement. "There have been reports of abnormal activity in Buffalo. We leave in thirty minutes."_

_"Buffalo is full of abnormals. It's Buffalo." Barney grumbled. He finally accepted the offered tea, loaded it down with heaps of sugar, and then turned to leave so he could get ready for another mission. Helen watched him over the rim of her teacup and then smirked as she set it down on its matching saucer. "Americans are such an acquired taste."_

_The Big Guy grunted his agreement._

_The riot was caused by the civil unrest the country was facing, not the abnormal, but the creature was feeding off the mayhem. She and Barney managed to herd the creature away from the epicenter of the violence and destruction, getting it and themselves out of harm’s way, or at least out of the way of the riots. The creature caused quite a bit of harm while putting up a struggle. Helen had a bleeding gash over her left eye and bruises in places no lady dare speak of to anyone but her own mirror._

_"Well, I have to admit that was pretty impressive."_

_Helen didn't know the voice. Turning towards it her right hand went to the pistol in the pocket of her jacket. A handsome man with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and eyes the color of a stormy winter sky smiled at her. "You really shouldn't be here."_

_"Why?" The man asked. "You've caught the creature and you managed to do it without doing it too much harm." He took several steps towards her while pulling a bandana out of his pocket. He reached up to press the cloth against her bleeding wound, but she was quick to catch his wrist before he could touch her. "You on the other hand, don't worry it's clean."_

_"I'm fine, thank you." Helen said without letting go of her grip on him. "What do you know of the creature?"_

_"I know that it's one of the, if not the, very last of its kind." He answered. "The species was thought long dead in fact."_

_Piercing blue eyes narrowed as Helen's grip tightened. "Were you hunting it?"_

_"No." The man answered. He flashed her a smile as he said, "That would be you. I was simply observing it."_

_"Observing?" Helen questioned._

_He nodded. "That's what I do. I observe." When she loosened her grip, he gently pulled his wrist free. He offered the bandana but didn't move to tend the wound again. "What will you do with it?"_

_Blood was starting to get into her eye, so Helen took the cloth to clean it away. "Protect it."_

_"Good." He replied._

_For a long moment she simply looked at him. Something about him intrigued her. "Who are you?"_

_He smiled again, a bright smile with dimples. "My name is Thomas, and you are?"_

_"Helen." She replied._

"Magnus?" Will Zimmerman called out as he stepped out onto the tower roof. He knew he'd find her out here standing or sitting on her parapet looking out over the city without actually seeing anything, lost in her quiet, brooding grief. He wasn't expecting to find her slumped on the ground, unconscious, however and it sent a wave of concern and fear through him. Rushing to her he dropped to his knees beside her. "Magnus?" He called out again as he reached for her neck to check her pulse. "Helen!"

Will couldn't see him, but Thomas stood close by and watched as the young man carefully took care of his friend. It was clear the young man cared for Helen and Thomas took comfort in that. The young man called someone and a few minutes later Helen's old friend appeared. The sight of him made Thomas smile. "It’s good to see you again, friend." He reached out his hand towards the Bigfoot. "You'll need to remember too."

_Thomas watched as Helen's 'Old Friend' cleared away the dishes from their meal. He hadn't stopped eyeing Thomas since he arrived. "I don't think your friend likes me much."_

_Helen waved the comment away with an elegant sweep of her hand before reaching for her wine glass. "He's a bit overprotective, bit of a mother hen really."_

_"I will have to make sure I reassure him that I mean you no harm." Thomas said as he reached for her free hand._

_Helen allowed him to take it and even smiled ever so slightly when he began running his thumb over her knuckles. He was still a mystery to her, one she wanted to solve, but he was more than that as well. She could not deny the attraction. He was handsome, clever, and funny. She enjoyed spending time with him. It had been quite a while since she'd had this kind of companionship, and she was quickly realizing she missed it. She flashed him a daring smile as she said, "Perhaps he worries that I will be the one doing the harming."_

_"Impossible." Thomas replied as they moved towards each other. "You're as sweet and harmless as a kitten."_

_That actually made Helen laugh just moments before their lips met._

_Walking back into the room with dessert the Big Guy grunted and growled at the sight._

"Big Guy?" Will called out when the Bigfoot staggered a little. "You ok?"

"Yes." Biggie grunted. He shook his head to clear it and then walked over and gently picked Helen up in his arms.

"She's alright my friend." Thomas said as he put his hand on Biggie's arm. "She'll wake soon. I promise."

The Big Guy sensed something but didn't see anything. He grunted. Something familiar pricked at his fur. "She just needs rest."

Will argued that she needed to go to the infirmary, but the Big Guy took her to her room instead. He shooed Will away, sending him off to help Henry, while he looked after Helen. Thomas smiled fondly as he put his hand on Biggie's shoulder. "It's just a cat nap, my friend. Humans are a bit more frail than you or I. Remembering isn't always easy on them, not even one's as remarkable as she."

_"So the kitten has claws." Thomas chuckled, and then hissed as Helen pressed the cloth soaked with antiseptic to the fresh, rather deep, scratches on his back._

_Helen blushed as she pressed a little harder than she needed to with the cloth. "Oh, do shut up."_

_"And here I was thinking English girls were all prim and proper." He continued to tease despite knowing Helen had iodine easily at hand._

_Setting the cloth aside Helen ran her hands over the unmarred skin of her new lover's back. "I am English, yes, and proud of it." Her hands moved over his shoulders and down his chest as she pressed her lips against his ear. "A girl however I am not."_

_"No," Thomas said as he reached up to wrap his hands around her arms. "You aren't."_

"I have existed longer than even you could imagine." Thomas said as he brushed at Helen's dark hair. Her eyes were moving rapidly behind her closed eyelids as her memories returned and played out like dreams in her mind. "But I had never truly lived until I met you." He smiled as he brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. "And then she was born, and for the first time since I came into being, I knew joy."

_Perhaps it had been spending the spring in London or maybe it was because she'd fallen in love with him, though she would never admit to that, but something had made her careless. She had always been so careful when she took on a lover, especially a male lover. She had a child, the little boy or girl she'd created with John, frozen and waiting for her to be ready, for it to be safe to bring them into this world. Now he or she would have to wait because their big brother or sister would be coming first. Helen glanced at the test results one more time before closing her eyes and sighing softly. Her mind flashed back to London, the spring rain, their laughter as they pulled away rain-soaked clothes._

_"I told you both to stay away." Biggie grunted as he hauled Thomas and Barney into Helen's medical lab. "You do not listen."_

_"He was curious!" Barney huffed. "It’s his fault!"_

_Thomas glared at the younger man and then huffed. "I was just observing, at a distance, you're the one who got to close."_

_Barney shivered. "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."_

_Helen took in the sight of them and pinched the bridge of her nose. Their clothes were torn, Barney's more so than Thomas', and they both had visible bleeding wounds. Even from a distance she could tell some would need sutures. "What the bloody hell happen to the two of you?"_

_Biggie snort grunted. "Phoebe is in heat."_

_Helen's eyes went wide. "You could have been killed!"_

_"Thankfully, I wasn't her type." Thomas said easily, with a rather wicked smirk._

_Biggie laughed. "Phoebe knows you are claimed."_

_Thomas blinked. "Claimed?"_

_The Bigfoot nodded and jerked his head at Helen. "Her scent is all over you."_

_Gentlemen!" Helen snapped as a blush colored her cheeks. "If you please, we'll have enough of that." She shot her old friend a look that made him laugh which just made her flush worsen. Turning her glare to Thomas and Barney she said, "Sit down." Shaking her head, she collected what she would need to treat them. "You're both bleeding all over my floor."_

_"Aw man," Barney moaned as he sat on a stretcher. "She's pissed. This is gonna hurt."_

"When you told me that you carried our child." Thomas said from across the room while he watched Biggie and a returned Will fuss over Helen. He sighed softly as the emotion washed over him. "It was the most amazing feeling. You were so beautiful pregnant, so radiant, and yet just a little sad. I understand why now." Walking over to the bed he sat beside her and put his hand on hers. "You'll get them back, Helen. You'll have them both back I promise. I just need you to remember the rest."

_She was exhausted and weak, unsure if she could do it anymore. Not even the source blood had hurt quite this bad as it changed her into the immortal being, she was now. Thomas was supportive and encouraging, and all she wanted to do was hit him with something large and heavy. This was all his bloody fault after all!_

_"Not long now, Helen." Thomas said softly as he ran a cool wet cloth over her forehead and down her jaw line._

_All grace flew out the window as she growled at him just as another contraction hit. Luckily for Thomas the midwife drew Helen's attention, telling her to focus and push. Push. Push. She wasn't sure where it came from but something almost superhuman came over her, driving her to the final moments, and then the most amazing sound she'd ever heard filled the room, and she felt the tiniest bit of weight on her chest._

_"It's a girl, Helen." Thomas said. His stormy grey eyes filled with pure wonder and awe. "She's amazing."_

_Holding her newborn daughter in her arms Helen felt a sense of peace she had never known in all her one hundred and eighteen years. Ten little fingers, ten little toes, two stunning blue eyes and a surprising amount of golden blonde hair; Helen held seven pounds of perfection in her arms._

_"She's beautiful." Thomas said, his voice thick with emotion. "Like her mother." Reaching out he brushed the back of his index finger along her cheek; it was a smaller version of the affectionate gesture he used with Helen. "So, what is this little angel's name?"_

_For months Helen had debated on a name. Even when the baby began moving, when Helen first realized just how real it all was becoming, she couldn't decide on a name. Seeing her now, holding her in her arms, listening to her soft breaths, seeing those bright eyes look up at her, Helen smiled. When her daughter was most restless in the increasing cramped space of a womb that could only grow so much, and caused Helen the most discomfort she would sit and just talk to her or read to her from her father's journals or her own scientific texts. She would then rub her swollen stomach and laugh as she told the baby she was the only one in the whole Sanctuary that listened to her. "Oh, I know the perfect name for her."_

Helen bolted upright with tears streaming down her face, her breath coming in quick gasps as she cried out, "Samantha!"


	3. Chapter 3

Surely, they had to be dreams. What Helen saw couldn't have been true. They had to be dreams. But the emotions felt so very real. A part of Helen was telling her that she had only ever bore one child, Ashley. And yet there was another part of her screaming how could she forget? How could she not remember Samantha? Closing her eyes as she continued to try and regulate her breathing after bolting from her dreams. She could see it all so clearly, feel it deep in her heart. The overwhelming love and sense of peace she felt as she held her baby daughter to her breast. The sound of her own voice singing softly as a tiny hand gripped her finger as tightly as new muscle could manage. Eyes a shade of blue Ashley's never reached staring up at her as if she were the universe.

Opening her eyes and looking up to her old friend, Helen almost didn't have the courage to ask, "Do you remember a child?" He had been with her; he would know if she'd had another child. "A child before Ashley?"

Biggie nodded his head, his expression confused but resolute. "A girl." He replied, and then titled his head a bit in thought and then added, "Sammie."

"Samantha." Helen corrected and was suddenly hit by a sense of déjà vu.

The big guy looked just as confused as Helen over the rush of abruptly remembered memories. "You hate when we call her Sammie."

Helena gasped softly as another memory slammed back into place. "Barney started calling her that."

Will's head had been twitching back and forth listening to his friends as they clearly tried to work something out. Finally, he cut in, "What's going on?"

Helen looked at her young friend. She anchored herself with his presence, used the bond between mentor and protégé to rein herself in. "I am not sure, Will, but I think… I…" She looked at Biggie again. "It had to be a dream."

"It was no dream." Thomas said from across the room.

It was him, the man, her lover, from the dream. Helen jumped to her feet without taking her eyes off him. How was this possible? She felt the Big Guy and Will move into a protective formation, but she easily brushed them aside as she took a step closer to him. "It's you." She said as she studied him carefully. Except for the shorter hair and the clothes, he looked just as she remembered. "Thomas."

Hearing her say his name again after all this time made him smile. "Hello Helen."

"Dear god." She breathed in disbelief. She closed the distance between them and reached out to touch him. "You're real."

"Yes." He said as she held her hand to his cheek.

Her hand lingered for a moment, and then she pulled it back as if suddenly receiving a shock. "But if you're real than that means…"

"Yes." He said softly. "Samantha is very real as well."

Helena shook her head in disbelief. It wasn't that she was incapable of believing in the unbelievable. Her every waking moment was full of the unbelievable. What she couldn't, wouldn't believe is that she had a child in the world she knew nothing about. Helen Magnus would not have allowed that. Helen had just proven she would bring the world to its knees to find her child.

"There is a lot that still needs explaining." Thomas said. His voice was warm, gentle, as reassuring as he could make it. His gaze was locked on Helen. 

"You think?" Will said snidely.

Thomas spared the man a glance before returning his focus to Helen.

"Why now?" Helen demanded. "Why after all this time is this happening now?"

"Because Samantha can help." Thomas answered.

"Help?" Helen repeated with a heated edge to her voice that would have made even John tread lightly. "Help with what? Help me move on and forget Ashley? Help me to realize she's gone and there's nothing I can do to bring her back? Help me greave the loss of one daughter by giving me another?"

"I would never do that to you Helen." Thomas said softly. "Samantha isn't here to replace Ashley she's here to help you save her."

"Now wait just a damn minute." Will said as he moved to stand beside Helen. "Look, I don't know who you are, or how you even got in here, but you need to stop. Whatever the hell you're doing to Magnus, whatever game you're playing, you need to stop."

"I'm not playing a game." Thomas replied. "And I’m certainly not here to hurt, Helen. Samantha is uniquely qualified to help." He looked at Helen and said, "You believe Ashley could have somehow been transported or even trapped by the EH field surrounding the Sanctuary, yes? If that's true, then Samantha is the one who will find a way to save her."

Helen just shook her head and moved away from Thomas. She was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. She was clinging to the hope that Ashley was alive. Clinging to the idea that she could bring her back, bring back her Ashley, the beautiful blustery young woman she was before the Cabal got a hold of her. "I was wrong. This isn't a dream. It's a bloody nightmare."

"She's downstairs." Thomas said softly. "Samantha. She's here and she's downstairs waiting."

When the bright light and warmth faded Sam found herself standing in what looked like a study. There was a fire in the fireplace, large sofas, an old antique desk, Tiffany lamps, and shelves and shelves of books. It was a warm room, comforting in a way, but before she could give it much more thought her mind flash back on what felt like just a moment before. "Janet?"

"Right here, love." Janet said softly.

Sam turned and saw her lover standing behind her. She moved quickly to hug her, to make sure she was safe and real, because right now nothing felt real. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Janet replied as she held Sam tightly. "I didn't know Ancients could do that, transport people like that." She took Sam in to make sure she was all right and then looked down at herself. "Well at least he transported us with clothes." She took a moment to look around, even walking to the window to look outside. "Where are we?"

"They gave Daniel a new body when they threw him out for breaking the rules." Sam said as she watched Janet closely. "Transporting people and secretly fathering children with human women is apparently also in their wheelhouse."

"So, you think it's true?" Janet asked as she turned from the window to look at Sam.

"It's not." Sam said as she picked up a framed picture of a young blond woman. Sam's eyes went a little wide as she looked at the picture. Before the Air Force, way back when she'd first started college, Sam looked an awful lot like the young woman in the picture. Sam put it back as if she were putting something dangerous back into place. This isn't real; it can't be, because if it was real it meant her whole life had been a lie and that the Ancients had used her, used her parents, and hurt people beyond understanding.

Seeking out something a little more familiar and understandable Sam moved to the computer set up in the corner of the room. As she looked it over, she let specs, algorithms, and formulas fill her head. The readouts on the screen she understood, the science and math behind what she saw was real, and it helped calm her, settle her. The warmth of Janet's hand on the small of her back helped ground her. She was about to need the moment of peace she'd managed to find.

The door of the study opened, and a woman walked in. Janet looked up first and her eyes went wide. The resemblance was unmistakable. The woman standing there in shock was Sam's height, perhaps a little curvier in places, showed just the slightest touch of age around her eyes and mouth. Her hair was long and dark, her skin tone perhaps a whisper of a shade tanner, but her eyes. Those were Sam's eyes in color and shape, Sam's nose, the curl of Sam's lips. "Sam."

Sam straightened up from her bent over position at the computer to see who'd come in just as Janet said her name. She took the woman in, and then their eyes met. "Holy Hannah."

"Dear god." Helen gasped.

The two women moved towards each other slowly, as if any sudden movement might make the other disappear. Neither one could deny how much they favored each other. Their minds raced for a logical reason other than the truth. A shape shifting or mimicking abnormal? An alternate reality Carter? Anything but what was literally staring them in the face.

Will and Biggie had followed Helen in and stood behind her just staring, just as Janet stood behind Sam staring. Finally, Will broke the silence, "Who are you people?"

"I’m Janet Fraiser." Janet answer, when it was clear Sam wasn’t going to respond. "And this is Samantha Carter."

"Ah, well, hi." Will said. "I'm Will Zimmerman, and this, um, well, we just call him the Big Guy."

Biggie grunted. He stepped closer to Helen, which meant he stepped closer to Sam, which made Janet move closer to Sam. He sniffled and snuffled at the air and then nodded. "Smells right. Smells like you." He told Helen. "I remember her. I remember her scent."

This was unreal, uncanny. Sam didn't know what to say or think or feel. When she finally remembers how speaking worked, she let her eyes dart to the, um, man sniffing her. Was that a man? Though her gaze was on Biggie, her question was clearly directed at Helen. "Friend of yours?"

Helen nodded. "Bigfoot."

"Oh." Sam replied feeling a little dizzy. If she didn't get a grip, she'd do something very un-Sam like and faint. Tearing her gaze from Bigfoot apparently, she looked into the dark-haired woman’s too familiar eyes. "You have a weird anomaly in your EM field."

"Yes." Helen said simply. She was too old and too experienced to deny what she was seeing. It was her very own genetics staring back at her, and more than that, there was just a feeling. "I know." After another moment of compulsive staring Helen finally reached out but hesitated. She wanted, needed, to touch Samantha. She couldn't explain it. "May I?"

Sam nearly recoiled but stopped herself. After a moment of hesitation, she simply nodded her consent, though she had no idea why.

Helen reached out and cupped Sam's cheek. She felt the warmth; the softness of her skin, and it was like being drawn from the cold darkness into the warmth of the sun. Tears filled old eyes, and after caressing Sam's cheek as she drew her hand away, Helen turned with an angry fury that only a mother could bring to bear. "How?" Helen demanded as she advanced on Thomas who’d watched the moment unfold as he stood silently by the fireplace. "How was she taken from me? How did I not remember? How did I not know she was out there? Tell me!"

Thomas reached out and showed Helen the same memory he'd shown Sam, his memory, because Helen had been rendered unconscious just before Morgan had appeared. Helen stumbled. Biggie was instantly at her side to catch her. A moment later she was looking up at him with rage. "It was your fault.” She said coldly before exploding. “They took her from me because of you!"

"I was human only to blend in and observe." Thomas said softly, his eyes full of pain. "I wasn't supposed to fall in love, but I did. I refused to return when my time here was up. I wanted to stay, to be here with you and Samantha. But they wouldn't allow it."

He wasn't human now, but he was corporeal so when Helen hit him the sound reverberated off the walls like a crack of merciless thunder. "You bastard!"

"Helen." Thomas replied softly, seemingly unphased by the slap. "I'm sorry. I couldn't… I tried…"

"You groveled!" Helen spat at him. "You didn't fight, you didn't try to stop them! You just let them take her!"

"Wait, so we're just going to believe all of this?" Will asked, his gaze darting to each person in the room. Yeah, sure he could see that this Samantha woman looked like Helen, but that didn’t mean any of what they were trying to sell them was the truth. "We're just going to buy this whole long lost forgotten daughter thing? And what did he mean he was human then? You're not human now?"

"The family resemblance is hard to miss." Janet said to Will. "But I would feel a lot better with something more concrete. I'd like to run a DNA test."

"Once she's done fuming, I'm sure that was Magnus' plan." Will replied. "Magnus?"

Helen was contemplating hitting Thomas again. Finally, she turned to face the others. "Yes, of course."

"All the same to you I'd rather Janet did it." Sam told them. "There are, well, it's completed. Janet has the clearance and understanding to run the test."

"Clearance?" Helen asked as she took in the woman who was apparently her daughter and the smaller woman beside her.

"It's really complicated." Sam replied with a shrug.

It was a gesture that reminded her so much of Ashley, Helen near gasped. Turning her attention to Janet she asked, "You're a doctor than?"

"I am." Janet confirmed before trying to explain a little of what Sam meant by complicated and why she would have clearance over matters such as Sam’s health. "Sam and I are Air Force."

Helen took them in. Yes, she could see the starch of military training all over them. She could also see that despite that, there was something personal between the two. That explained Janet's presence more than her being Sam's doctor, or the two of them being military officers. "William."

Will flinched. "Aw crap, she's calling me William."

Shooting her protégé a glare Helen continued. "Will you please show Doctor…" She turned to Janet and blinked. She'd completely missed the woman's name.

"Fraiser." Janet told her. "Janet Fraiser."

Helen nodded a bit of a greeting before looking at Will once again. "Will you please show Doctor Fraiser to the medical lab. Make sure she has what she needs to run the appropriate tests."

Will blinked in surprise. "Magnus? Are you sure?"

"Do as you are told!" Helen snapped at him. When she realized just how harsh she'd been she softened and added, "Please Will."

The young man nodded. He waited for Sam and Janet to share what looked like a private conversation and then escorted Janet out of the room.

Helen looked at Biggie with a sad, soft, not quiet there smile. "Tea, if you please, old friend."

The big guy grunted with a nod. He looked at Sam for a moment longer before leaving the room.

That left Helen alone with Sam and Thomas. She glared at Thomas, using the moment to try and sort out these returned memories and feelings. This wasn't going to be easy. What she had had with this man had been something profoundly real. She cared so deeply for him, perhaps even loved him, and just like John he had hurt her unforgivably. And, apparently, just like John, he had given her something astounding and precious. She softened as she turned to look at Sam who stood there looking at them like a lost, frightened, and angry wolf cub. Wolf cub. Oh dear. How was she going to explain this to Henry?

"You and your friend didn't seem phased by my manservant." Helen said to Sam as she waved towards the sofas near the fireplace, indicating that they should sit. "Even after I said he was a bigfoot."

"We've seen stranger things." Sam replied with that painfully familiar shrug.

"In the Air Force?" Helen questioned with a look that asked what could the Air Force have found that's so strange?

"Yes." Sam replied.

Sam was about to give her cover story when Thomas said, "Although Samantha's a scientist first and foremost she's a member of an elite team of interplanetary explorers. It’s her knowledge of alien technology, and her own personal experience with alien encounters, that's going to help her help you save Ashley."

Sam stared at him wide eyed.

Helen would deal with the concept of alien life later. Right now, she had other things on her mind. "A scientist?"

"Astrophysicist." Sam replied. "Mainly, originally, I've picked up a few things along the way."

That made Helen smile.

"Look," Sam said before Helen could speak again. "This is all really, well, I'm not sure yet, but it’s happening for a reason. How can I help save your daughter?"

She hadn't even known the woman a half an hour and Helen could see herself in Samantha in more ways than just the physical. Hiding emotions behind work was something she was good at as well. "The short answer is the abnormally you saw in the EM field. The long answer I'll tell you over tea." She smiled warmly as Biggie carried in her favorite tea service and began pouring. She smiled even more when Sam said she took milk and two sugars. "Let me begin by telling you about the Sanctuary."


	4. Chapter 4

Extraterrestrial warlord parasites hell bend on intergalactic domination was so much easier for Sam to accept then the truth about her own life. Janet had taken blood and cheek swabs of her and Helen and run the DNA tests with Will watching over her shoulder despite Helen's assurance he didn't need too. The tests came back with an undeniable positive result. Helen Magnus was her biological mother. Until Janet showed her the test results Sam could pretend it was all stories and lies but she couldn't argue with the science. What Thomas showed them was true. The Ancients had stolen her from Helen; they'd stolen her life and given her one that benefited them. They'd taken her from one mother and fate, by way of a car accident, had taken the other. How was that fair? She'd been ripped from Helen's arms only to have Debra Carter ripped from hers. She had to grow up without either of her mothers, why? So she'd follow her Dad into the Air Force and become what? Why did the Ancients need her just where she was so badly? It couldn't be about the goa'uld, they could care less about the snakes. What on coming storm had they been talking about in Thomas' memory? And how the hell was she meant to be a beacon against it? What did that even mean? 

The computer Sam was working on in Helen's office beeped softly at her, and she tapped at the keys to reconfigure the next bit of code. She needed a more detailed look at the energy of the EM field, and a way to focus her mind. Science and math were always calming for Sam, things she knew well like an old song or the feel of Janet’s touch. Sam loved her parents. Jacob and Debra Carter would always be her mom and dad. Still, she couldn't help but wonder. Helen had told her about the Sanctuary, about Abnormals, and then Janet came in with the results. She could tell Helen had more to tell her, but she seemed to have the same reaction as Sam had. The scientific evidence made it real. She excused herself with apologies and retreated somewhere in the gothic cathedral she called home. Sam couldn't imagine how Helen was feeling. Just a few short days ago she'd lost the daughter she'd raised and now she finds out about the daughter she hadn't. The pain must be almost unbearable, and Sam had no idea what to do, how to help, what to say. The only thing she could do was just what Thomas had brought her here to do. Save Ashley if she could.

Helen had stood at the edge of the parapet until she was unable to physically cry any longer. She stood there reliving each memory that had been stolen from her, every moment, every second she had with Samantha. Then she began thinking of what could have been and she had to step away from the edge because the sense of loss and grief was just to overpowering. What would it have been like to have Samantha, Ashley, and Henry running around together as children? To walk down the hall after a long day to hear Samantha's laughter the way she had so many times with Ashley. How many more appliances and bits of electronics would she have lost to Henry and Samantha's curiosity? She would never know. It had all been taken from her without her even knowing it. The gall of these people! Samantha said that these Ancients were once humans who discovered a way to transcend this plane of existence. Enlightened her arse! If she ever got her hands on one, being a higher life form wouldn't save them from her ire.

Unable to sleep, when Helen finally left the tower roof, she headed for the library to see if she could find anything in her books about these arrogant Ancients who'd made the mistake of messing with her life. As she approached her study door she noticed the light was still on. Her old friend would have never gone to bed with the lights still on. Stepping inside she was more than a little surprised to find Sam working at her computers. "Samantha?"

Sam looked up and over and blushed a little. "Sorry." She whispered. "I hope you don't mind."

Helen looked around to see why Sam was whispering and smiled. Janet was asleep on the sofa near the fireplace. "What are you doing up?" She asked as she walked over to put a throw over Janet before walking over to Sam. "Weren't you given a guest room?"

"Yes, the Big Guy set us up." Sam answered. "But I wanted to get started. These kinds of things are usually time sensitive and it's already been a couple of days."

"Usually?" Helen asked. While she'd been able to freely discuss the Sanctuary with Sam, Sam was bound by military secrecy. Thomas had filled her in enough for her to know Sam's and Janet's work was extraterrestrial in nature, and that Sam was brilliant and gifted in her chosen fields. Helen had felt pride knowing her daughter was an accomplished scientist and engineer.

"Something similar has happened before." Sam answered. "And it was fixable."

Helen pulled her desk chair over so she could sit beside Sam. "So, you don't think my grief is making me see things that aren't there? I'm not a fool, Samantha. I know there's no way someone could survive in an EM field. You really don't have to…"

"She wouldn't be in the EM field." Sam said, cutting Helen off. "She'd be in the computer system. The EM field wouldn't have the ability to hold a consciousness. The EM field would have been the conduit used to get into the system. Your mainframe is massive, really impressive, it could easily hold a consciousness." There was a light in Sam's eyes, that spark she always got when working on a problem like this or when she got to work with new tech. "I'm using the anomaly in the field to locate where Ashley could have been downloaded."

"Remarkable." Helen said as she stared at Sam with awe and a warm smile.

"I know right." Sam replied with a mirrored smile.

It took several moments for Helen to rein in what she was feeling. Clearly Sam had inherited her intelligence and her passion for knowledge. "Still," She said in a gentle tone. "You've had quiet the day. You need rest." She had a feeling that wouldn't be enough to persuade Sam, so she added, "Besides, it's rather impolite to let Doctor Fraiser sleep on the sofa when there is a comfortable bed in your room."

There was something in Helen's tone, in her eyes, that made Sam's eyes widen a little. They were normally really good at hiding their connection around people they weren't familiar with; it was second nature to them even though they no longer needed to hide for the sake of their careers.

The look on Sam's face made her chuckle. Helen was no stranger to the type of relationship her daughter had with her good doctor. Virginia, Helena, Eleanor, Katharine were all very fond memories for her. "It's quiet alright Samantha. You will find no judgment from me, nor from anyone in my home. If it makes you feel better, I don't think anyone else knows for sure. Suspects perhaps, your lovely little doctor is very protective of you."

Sam relaxed. There was so much for them to find out about each other. She liked that this particular thing was out of the way. "I wouldn't let her hear you call her little."

Helen chuckled again. "I'll keep that in mind."

The moment of levity allowed Sam to relax a little. She bit her lip as she watched Helen, wondering if she'd be open to answering a few more of her questions while she waited for her new code to kick in.

The way Sam bit her lip was painful for Helen to see. Ashley had the same habit. "Go ahead." She said gently. "Ask me."

Sam looked startled. "How…"

"Ashley makes the same face when she wants to ask me something that she isn't sure about." Helen replied. "It normally involves asking for something she knows I'll say no to."

Sam bit back the urge to apologize for the pain she saw in Helen's eyes. Now she hesitated about asking. Helen gave her a look, a slight quirk of the eyebrow, so she went ahead and said, "I was just wondering, well, it's just…"

"You don't look old enough to be Sam's mother." A sleepy voice said from across the room.

A matching pair of blue eyes looked over to see Janet sitting up on the sofa watching them. It was Helen who spoke first, "Oh I assure you I was more than old enough. At the time of Samantha's birth, I was one hundred and eighteen years old."

Apparently, 52Sam and Janet could still be shocked because what they just heard had them both gaping at Helen. "But that would mean you were born in 1850?"

"August 27th, 1850." Helen confirmed. "To be precise."

As she and Sam joined Janet near the fire Helen began telling them about the source blood, sanguine vampiris, the serum she'd made, her longevity, and the Five. Janet had listened with great interest when Helen talked about attending medical school when she did, and about creating the serum. It was a lot to take in, and a little hard to believe, but no harder than anything else they'd learned in the last few hours. Sam kind of liked finally knowing were her love of science came from, and she found she was a bit in awe of her mother.

They talked for hours. Sam and Janet agreed that Daniel would love knowing about the vampires. He'd always wondered about the power vacuum left behind by the goa'uld. Sam had a nerd moment when Helen told her about Nikola, and Janet who loved Sherlock had her moment when Helen spoke of James Watson. When Helen told them about John, Sam told her about Jonas Hanson. When Helen spoke of finally bringing Ashley's frozen embryo to term Janet wondered if the weight of Helen's loneliness had been made worse by a subconscious sense of grief over losing Sam. There were times when Janet felt a physical ache when she thought of her life before Cassandra, because it had been a life without the girl. Surly somewhere deep inside Helen a part of her soul missed Sam.

Before they knew it the Big Guy walking into the room to get it ready for the day. He always cleaned and started a fire before Helen started her day. He grunted disapprovingly at them. "You all need sleep. Bad habits must be genetic."

"She doesn't sleep right either?" Janet asked.

"No." The Big Guy replied. "Up all hours, works nonstop, always telling me she'll sleep when she's finished, never really gets to be finished. Have to force her."

"Sounds like Sam." Janet huffed with a bit of amusement.

Helen and Sam looked at each other and wondered, just how much did they have in common? It would be interesting to find out, that was for sure. "My dear friend is right this time. You both should get some sleep."

Biggie grunted. "You too."

Helen agreed and they all said their goodnights. As much as Janet wanted to ask how Sam was feeling she knew Sam needed time to work it out before she could even start to express herself, so they climbed into the large bed to get a few hours of sleep. It was only a few hours’ worth but that was all they needed for now. Sam was right back where Helen had found her the night before when the rest of the house began to stir back to life.

The Big Guy grumbled as he set Sam's coffee within reach. "Just like your mother." He said, meaning Sam's work habits. He snorted a little. "Almost. Magnus doesn't drink coffee."

It made Sam stiffen a little. It was going to take time for her to get use to that, to someone speaking of her mother and not meaning Debra. Janet was standing behind her, looking at the readouts on the screen, and when she noticed Sam tense, she put her hands on her shoulders. Sam relaxed instantly.

When Will walked into the room he looked around for Helen. Not seeing her he decided to use the moment to talk to Sam. There was no denying she was Helen's daughter, and he knew this was difficult news for everyone involved to come to terms with. But he didn't want her hurting Helen, no matter who she was, so he felt like he needed to step in. Walking towards Helen’s desk, Will asked what they were doing and after Sam explained he said, "Look, I know you think you're helping but feeding into her delusion…"

"It’s not a delusion." Sam said as she looked at him. "It is possible to store a human consciousness in a large enough computer system."

"I'm pretty sure it's not." Will argued as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I may not be the genius you seem to be, but I am a doctor, I know that…"

"No disrespect Doctor Zimmerman but compared to what we've learned over the years, what you know could fit into a thimble." Janet said gently and yet clearly in a defensive way since it appeared Will was going at Sam.

Sam reached up to put her hand on Janet's, which rested on her shoulder, as she said, "I'm certain it's possible."

"How can you be so sure?" Will asked, not willing to concede. He was protecting Magnus.

There was a long pause before Sam finally answered, "Because it happened to me."

"Sure, right, your mind was trapped in an EM field." Will snipped, rolling his eyes. Then he gave Sam a hard glare. "There is a lot going on right now. Magnus is dealing with a lot. She's hurting, grieving, and you giving her false hope on top of her having to deal with who you are, and what was done to the both of you, isn't helping her."

Sam had stood up because she wanted to be on her feet to stand her ground. She took several steps closer to the man as she said, "I'm not trying to hurt her. I'm trying to help."

"Then stop." Will said. "She needs to let go, to move on and heal. You're just going to make it worse."

Sam glared at the man. "I know you're trying to protect her, but in doing so you're the one who's going to end up hurting her. You're awfully skeptical for someone who lives with and chases down fantastical creatures."

"Someone has to be the voice of reason." Will replied.

"What's going on in here?" Helen asked as she walked in to find Sam and Will glaring at each other.

Before either of them could answer Janet called out. "Sam." She looked up with a smug smirk. "Come look at this."

Sam lingered for a moment to glare at Will just a tad more before walking over to Janet and the computer.

"Here." Janet pointed to something on the monitor. "Do you see it?"

Sam watched the squiggling line for several moments before she did catch what Janet had seen. "Is that?"

"Brainwaves." Janet said with a nod.

That brought Helen over. "Are you sure?"

Janet nodded. "It looks very similar to brain waves I've seen in the past in simulator situations. Would you happen to have a resent EEG for Ashley?"

"Yes, of course." Helen replied before darting off to get a tablet. When she returned, she handed the device, which displayed Ashley's last EEG, to Janet.

Sam and Janet talked in hushed whispers for several long moments before they finally agreed on what they were seeing. It was Sam who looked up and said, "Ashley's in the computer. Well, her consciousness is at least, it's dormant, like she's asleep, but it's there."

"Dear god." Helen breathed.

Sam looked over at Will. "You don't know me, and I understand you're just looking out for someone you care about, but I would never cause anyone unnecessary pain. If I didn't think there was something, anything, I could do I would have said so." She looked over at Helen as she said, "Finding Ashley's consciousness was one thing. Now we face the real problem."

Helen nodded her understanding. "Her body."

"Yes." Sam said softly.

"Leave that to me." Thomas said making everyone jump.

Will looked at Helen and teased, "You really need to stop dating men who can just appear like that. It's really unnerving."


	5. Chapter 5

The Sanctuary Network worked autonomously, separate from any government, a self-controlled dominion that held alliances with the world's nations. It was kind of an overwhelming concept and yet Sam couldn't help but wonder how much easier her life would be if the SGC were like that. No more Kinsey, or Simmons, or Maybourne types, no more IOA or NID, no more whiny Russians. Man wouldn't that be nice? To have the freedom to work the way she was now, uninhibited by rules and regs and red tape. Ask for something and get it no matter how hard it might be to obtain, Sam could get use to that.

Now that Sam knew where Ashley's consciousness was stored, she would need to build and power a way to put that consciousness back into Ashley's body. When she started rattling off ideas and listing things she would need, that's when Helen sent for Henry. Helen had explained things to Henry once he'd returned from helping repair the more pressing damage from the Cabal attack. She could easily read his emotions, anger that someone would dare hurt her in such a manner, sadness because he was still mourning Ashley, hope over the idea of getting her back, inquisitiveness about Sam, and excitement over what she might have planned. He couldn't wait to meet her, but Helen sent him off with Sam's list first. He'd get what he could and pick up what was being sent to them from Colorado.

Sam was shocked to find out Helen had the kind of pull that allowed her access to some of her SGC tech. It also apparently surprised her superiors. "It's a long story, Sir. One best told in person. I just need you to trust me."

"Of course, I trust you, Carter." Jack’s voice replied over the phone. "I'm just confused as hell. So's Hammond. I mean he suddenly has memories that don't make any damn sense. Hey, how come you never told me he's your godfather?"

"We didn't want anyone thinking me being at the SGC had anything to do with my connection to him." Sam answered. "Was he able to get me the extended time I asked for?"

"Yeah, you and the Doc can take as much time as you need within reason." Jack replied. "Also crated up everything you asked for. Loaded it onto an unmarked black van that I got to tell ya Carter made me nervous."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam said just as she caught sight of Helen coming for her. She was going to show her around and then take her to the main lab so she and Henry could get to work.

"Carter," Jack said, his voice softening a little. "Are you and the Doc safe? Are you sure you trust these people you're with?"

Sam's gaze locked with her mother's for a long moment and she nodded as if Jack could see her. "Yes Sir. I do. And we’re fine, I promise."

"Good enough for me." Jack replied.

"Thank you, Sir." Sam said with a soft smile. "I gotta go, Sir. I'll check in," She checked her watch. "In forty-eight hours. Give Cassie our love, tell her we’ll be home soon."

“Will do, Carter.” Jack replied before ending the call. 

"Is everything alright?" Helen asked when Sam hung up the phone and stood. She’d stopped far enough from Sam that she wouldn’t overhear anything, giving the young woman her privacy, but as soon as Sam snapped her phone shut Helen closed the distance between them.

Sam nodded. "There are a lot of confused people back home, but yeah everything fine." She was quiet for a moment as she began walking along side Helen. "The general I report too, he's one of my Dad's oldest friends. He's known me my whole life, only now the start of that life is all scrambled up in is head."

Helen nodded in understanding. "It's very bewildering to suddenly have two sets of memories of the same time."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, you kind of get used to it but not really."

There was so much for Helen to learn about Sam. When she watched her, she could see that Sam had seen things, lived things, that very few would be able to understand. She and Janet both were open to the unknown in ways many just aren't capable of. Helen found herself taking pride in this remarkable young woman she'd known for such a short time. "Perhaps someday you will share with me why you sound as if you speak from great experience."

"I'd like that." Sam said sincerely.

Sam had to admit the steampunk style elevator was kind of cool, but it was nothing compared to what she was about to see. As they walked through the corridors of the actual Sanctuary Helen explained the facilities to her. Medical labs, tech labs, habitat cells, were just a handful of rooms and areas hidden beneath the house. Though calling it a house was just a general term, given the fact that it was in fact a gothic cathedral. When they reached the main lab, Helen was just about to explain the large open area and the equipment when she realized Sam was no longer at her side. A quick look around let Helen see the short haired blonde standing in front of Sally's tank with an odd look on her face. Sam and Sally were watching each other, and Sam looked, for the first time since this all started, truly rattled. Perhaps the first crack in Sam's armor? "Samantha?"

"I know her." Sam said, her voice a bit shaky. "I mean, I kind of, sort of know her, remember her. I…" Turning to look at Helen she said, "When I was a kid, I had these dreams, I had them a lot, she was in them. I remember her from those dreams."

Helen smiled reassuringly as she reached out to put her hand on Sam's trembling shoulder. She spoke Sally's true name before saying, "The boys have lovingly nicknamed her Sally. She's a mermaid." She turned to look at her friend and smiled. When her memories were returned so were the memories of everyone who'd been with her during that time. "Sally's telepathic. She was here while I was pregnant with you." She pressed her hand to the glass and Sally mirrored her. "She sang to you before you were even born."

Sam closed her eyes because she could hear it. With Helen connecting to Sally while touching Sam, she could hear the mermaid's song the way she would have the last time, filtered through her mother's presence. It was lovely, a beautiful phantom from dreams that had helped Sam though some of the hardest nights of her childhood. Nights where she couldn’t sleep because she was too worried or frighten about her dad on a mission. Nights where she longed for her mom’s voice reading or singing to her after Debra’s death. Those dreams, that song, sang her into peaceful sleep.

"There must have been a telepathic echo left behind." Helen said softly. She was still looking at Sally but when her friend nodded towards Sam, she turned to look at her daughter. There were tears on Sam's cheeks. There was a brief internal struggle for Helen. Sam had been keeping everything at a distance, keeping her soldier's nature in place to protect herself and Helen had been respecting that. Truth be told she'd been doing the same thing. But now, now Helen could no longer fight the instincts that were demanding acknowledgement. Helen pulled Sam into her arms and held her.

Sam stiffened for a moment but then she began to relax and accept the comfort Helen was offering. Their lives had been turned upside down and inside out and they still didn't truly understand why. When she was able to rein herself in again Sam pulled away gently. "Sorry."

"Don't, Samantha. Don't ever apologize to me for something like this." Helen said firmly as she looked into Sam’s eyes, her own eyes mirrored back at her. "I know I'm a virtual stranger to you at the moment, but I am your mother, and I'm here now. I'm here for you always."

Sam was surprised and it showed. She wasn't sure what to say to that. Thankfully, she didn't have to say anything.

"Hey Doc, the chopper carrying the stuff from Colorado Springs will be here in about forty." Henry called out as he walked in from the other side of the room. "The Big Guy's bringing in what we got."

Helen smiled reassuringly at Sam, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she said, "Thank you Henry."

"So, when do I get to meet…" Henry finally looked up from his modified tablet. He was embarrassed at first, clearly having walked in on a private moment, but that quickly slipped away when he saw Sam. "Holy crap you look like the Doc."

Helen beamed. "There is a very strong resemblance, yes?"

Henry was a little to overcome to say anything until he breathed out, "You have Ash's eyes." Then he began to ramble. "I mean, you have the Doc's eyes and Ash had the Doc's eyes, and…"

Walking over to her foster son Helen put a hand on his arm to soothe him. They looked at each other for a moment, a private unspoken conversation between a mother and the child she raised as close to her own as she could. She smiled and nodded slightly before turning back to Sam. "Samantha, this is Henry Foss. Henry, this is Samantha Carter."

"Hi." Henry said with a little wave of his hand and a shy smile.

Sam nodded her head in greeting. "Hello."

"Henry dear would you show Sam how to work the auto assist program?" Helen had a feeling these two had the same safe zone, a common ground that would help ease them into this, technology and engineering. 

Henry nodded at Helen. "Sure Doc." Then smiled a bit more brightly at Sam. “Right over here, Samantha.” 

“Sam.” Sam corrected as she followed Henry to a control station. She watched as the young man booted up a program and then looked up as the robotic arms overhead came to life. There were different arms with different tool attachments that could be swapped out. She'd be able to build her rig in no time with those. Sam's eyes were big and bright like a kid on Christmas morning. "Oh, I want one!"

Helen laughed as she took in the beauty of Sam's face as she watched the auto assist with such glee. "Well I do have a few birthdays and Christmases to make up for."

Once the first round of equipment arrived Sam and Henry were completely lost to everyone else. They'd gone down the tech rabbit hole and it just got worse when Sam's stuff arrived. Henry held the naquadah generator in his hands like he was holding a priceless piece of art. "You designed this?"

Sam nodded as she adjusted something on the upgraded copy of the Entity’s nest that she was building. "Built the prototype too. It still needs some work, I’m not happy with it just yet, but it’s getting there."

Henry's eyes went huge as he looked at Sam with awe. "What else have you built?"

"She designed and build a particle accelerator to help rescue a friend of ours." Janet said from where she was working. They had a pretty good idea how Thomas was going to take care of the whole needing Ashley's body thing. They'd explained to Helen how they'd gotten Daniel back to reassure her that it would truly be Ashley and not a copy of some kind. Still, just to be on the safe side, and to insure they got the Ashley pre-Cabal, Janet was working with the Sanctuary's bio-scanner to work along with Sam's devise. "She's also designed or help design several new aircraft." She didn't mention that those aircraft were spaceships. 

"Marry me?" Henry said, completely and utterly fanboying.

"Seriously?" Will said with a look. "Dude, she's like your sister or something."

"We're not actually blood related." Henry argued, still gawking at Sam like she was the second coming of Elvis and he was a teenage girl of the 1950/60s. "I'm a foster kid."

"You are certainly more than just a foster child, Henry." Helen scolded before smirking and adding. "Your familial connection to Samantha notwithstanding, I think Doctor Fraiser may take issue with you trying to marry her."

"Huh?" Henry replied. He looked over at Janet who was giving him a playful version of her death glare.

Sam laughed. "I'm spoken for, Henry."

"Oh." Henry said and then when it really hit him, he said, "Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry."

Even with Henry and the auto assist it took quite a while to get Sam's idea built. It was based on the nest the Entity had built, but tweaked and refined by Sam. Actually, it had been something she'd been playing around with in her head for a while, and she'd included some things she'd learned from the Asgard. She just never really expected to get the chance to really do anything with those ideas.

"Will it work?" Janet asked while making Sam take a break to eat.

"In theory, yes." Sam answered honestly. "In reality, I guess we'll find out." She looked over the rig in the middle of the room with a critical eye, making sure everything was just as it needed to be. "We've done what we can."

"Now we just need Thomas." Janet said softly.

"More than that." Sam said. She thought back to when she'd been trapped in the computer core of the SGC and said, "It will also be up to Ashley. She'll have to want to come back."

Helen watched closely as Sam took Janet's hand. She wondered if Janet knew Sam had come back for her. It was comforting to know Sam was loved, cared about, that she had people in her life who mattered. It was soothing but didn't take away the sting of knowing she'd missed out on her daughter's life. She thought about all the things she'd shared with Ashley that she hadn't been able to share with Sam and it just added fuel to her anger and sadness.

"You were right." Thomas said, suddenly appearing behind her. When she whipped around to look at him, he continued. "I was a coward. I let them take her from you without a fight, not just once, but twice. I let them physically take her and then I let them take her from your heart and mind. Nothing will ever be able to make up for that."

Sam saw Thomas appear and was quick to cross the room and stand beside Helen. "It’s ready."

"Good." Thomas said softly. "I can't keep them off my trail much longer. When I do this, they'll know and it's very likely the last time I'll be able to see either of you."

"What will they do?" Sam asked, her voice laced with concern despite herself. She wanted to be angry at and resentful of this man who’d just torn her life apart, but it wasn’t easy to keep a solid grip on those emotions when so many others were overwhelming her and threating to break the dam she had them behind. 

Thomas smiled and reached out to caress Sam's face. "Nothing I don't deserve." He reached for Helen then, stoking her cheek with the back of his fingers the way he did when they were together. "Falling in love with you, making Samantha with you, are the best things I have ever done. Hurting you both, letting what happened happen, are my biggest regrets." He took a step back before adding, "Don't worry about the rest of them. They wouldn't dare undo what's been done. They won't interfere with you again. Samantha and her people have done much for them and they feel they not only owe you one but honestly they're afraid of pissing you off." He smirked then. "But just to be absolutely sure they won't screw around with you, your relationship, your memories, or Ashley's return I've informed the other races of everything that's happened and is happening. The Nox were not happy and offered to help, so if you need them feel free to reach out to them. Thor's very protective of you Samantha. I'm not sure I've ever seen an Asgard so livid. Anyway," He took them in for a long moment. He was saying goodbye. "You're safe, and soon Helen my love, you'll finally be whole."

"Thomas." Helen said softly, but any further comment was cut off when he stepped close and kissed her. She closed her eyes moments before she felt an odd sense of warmth and then a blinding flash of light. When she opened her eyes, she saw him in his ascended form for just a moment before the room was flooded with that blinding warm light. When the light faded, she had to blink several times to refocus her vision.

"Magnus." Will called out from across the room.

She turned to look at Will, but her gaze never made it to him. It never made it past what he was looking at. On the medical bed in the middle of the room was Ashley. A soft sob bubbled up from her chest as she rushed to the body of her daughter. "Ashley."

Sam looked around for Thomas, but he was gone. It really hadn't hit her until that moment. He was her father and now she'd probably never see him again. She only had a few brief moments with that thought before she was pulled back to the task at hand. She and Janet shared a look and while Helen stood staring at Ashley's body, they began hooking it up to electrodes. Once everything was in place and Sam was ready, she walked over to Helen. "Helen." She said gently as she put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Helen you need to move back."

She'd taken Ashley's hand, it was oddly warm when she'd expected it to be cold, and now she found she couldn't let it go.

"Helen." Sam said once more.

The Big Guy walked up and gently moved Helen himself. "I got her."

Sam smiled at him. "Thank you."

With everyone at a safe distance Sam walked over and turned on the machine. She counted in her head, one, two, three, four, five… Then she pressed the button. The machine was connected to the section of computer where Ashley's consciousness was stored; it would draw that consciousness out of the computer memory and into Ashley's brain. Sam continued to count, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. The moment the first current hit, Ashley’s body began to convulse. Sam looked up from her computer to see the Big Guy holding tight to Helen who struggled against him instinctively. Her daughter was in pain and she wanted to make it stop, but the pain couldn't be helped.

When it was finally over the tension in room tripled. This was the hardest part. The waiting. Janet rushed forward in case she was needed, and Helen finally broke loose of the Big Guy. "Give it a minute." Janet said as she looked up at Helen. "This is the hardest part, trust me I know, I've been there."

Seconds stretched out until each tick was painful to handle. Then just when Will was about to speak up, when he was about to once again be the voice of reason and tell Sam he told her so, there was a beep. Every set of eyes in the room was on the heart monitor. There was another beep. That was Janet's cue to administer medical treatment.

"Ashley?" Helen said as she took her little girl's hand. "Ashley love?"

There was a soft moan in response. Tears rolled down Helen's cheeks as she watched movement behind Ashley's eyelids. The sound of the heart monitor beating out Ashley's heartbeat was sweeter than any symphony. The active waves of the EEG coming from Ashley’s electrodes and not from the machine, more beautiful than any piece of art. For a brief moment Ashley opened her eyes to look at her mother and smiled. It was all the girl could manage for now but that was good enough for Helen.

"It may be awhile before she wakes up." Janet said gently. "But brain active is normal, heart rate and respiration all look good."

"Thank you." Helen said softly. She continued to just stare at Ashley for a few more moments, holding her hand, stroking her hair. Then she moved across the room and without a word took Sam into her arms. "Thank you."

The flood of relief she felt when Ashley's heart began to beat, and the gratitude she was feeling from Helen as the woman hugged her, surprised and overwhelmed Sam. She hadn't realized until just that moment how emotionally entangled, she'd become. How had that happened so quickly? Unsure of what to say or if she should say anything at all Sam simply hugged Helen back.


	6. Chapter 6

Once she was sure Ashley was stable Helen sent everyone off to bed to get some much needed sleep. Janet had offered to stay up to monitor Ashley but one look at Sam had Helen telling the younger doctor she could handle things for the night. Janet had given her a small grateful smile and Helen took comfort once again in knowing Samantha had someone who so obviously loved and cared for her. Alone with her daughter Helen barley moved from Ashley's bedside. She held her hand, afraid to let go, afraid that if she did Ashley would be gone again. When she did force herself to get up and move it was to run tests. She needed some reassurance that only her dearest and truly oldest companion could provide. Every test she ran made breathing a little bit easier. This was indeed Ashley. Her body uncorrupted and perfect just as it had been before the Cabal. The abnormal gene she had inherited from her and John was once again dormant. Knowing these things helped Helen to relax. Now she just needed to wait for Ashley to wake up to make sure she was really and truly her Ashley.

"Do you remember when you were small?" Helen asked and then recoiled as the memory of the last time she said those words stabbed at her heart. She took a breath and tried again. "When you and Henry were children and he was being too much of a boy even for you, you use to ask me for a sister." She paused for a moment to rub her thumb over Ashley's knuckles. "I can't wait to tell you all about Samantha. She helped bring you back to me."

She was so tired. She hadn't slept more than a couple of hours since Ashley was taken from her. She tried to keep herself awake as she waited for her little girl to wake up, but it wasn't easy. She even tried keeping her mind busy by trying to figure out what to do about John. He would find out Ashley was alive, and not telling him herself could send him off whatever edge he's standing on at the moment. She would tell him, that wasn't the real issue. The real issue was when would she tell him. John and Nikola were out there dismantling the Cabal piece by piece, and there was a part of her, a part she wasn't proud of, that didn't want John to stop until he'd made every single person who'd hurt their beautiful girl pay for what they did to her.

Getting up from her vigil beside Ashley one more time Helen sent a secure message from her laptop. "I've found her. She's safe, alive. They still hurt her. Continue dismantling them; leave nothing, no way to rebuild. They still need to be ended."

She would let John interpret that as he wished. Walking back over to the bed Helen gently laid down beside her beloved little girl. Before long Helen was asleep with her little girl in her arms once more.

The sun was just starting to come up when Helen felt movement. She was awake instantly and carefully shifting so she could look down at Ashley as she beginning to awaken. Tears burned her eyes as she watched Ashley's eyelids struggle to open. "Ashley?"

Her voice was horse and for several seconds all Ashley could do was smack her lips before she made a sound something akin to a croaking noise that kind of sounded like, "Mom?"

Helen let out a soft sob as she gathered her child into her arms and held her. "Oh Ashley."

"What the hell happened?" Ashley moaned. "I feel like I got hit by a truck," She tried to move on her own after Helen let her go to fetch her a drink of water, and moaned at the pain and discomfort. "And lightening."

"It's going to be ok now Ashley." Helen reassured as the tears continued to slip down her cheeks and past the bright brilliant smile she now wore. "You're home. You're safe and sound, and whole."

Not completely understanding what was going on, seeing her mother in tears was a little unnerving and really upsetting. Helen Magnus was not known to be the ugly cry type of woman. "Hey," Ashley said softly as she reached up with a trembling hand to wipe away her mother's tears. "Mom, I'm ok, please don't cry."

"I thought I'd lost you for good this time, Ashley." Helen admitted, her voice trembling.

"But you didn't, Mom." Ashley said as she took hold of her mother's hands and put them on her cheeks. "I'm right here, Mom, you don't have to be afraid anymore."

That was all Helen could take. She pulled Ashley into her arms once again and held her as if she would never let her ago. When Ashley wrapped her arms around her and clung to her, she knew her little girl felt the same way.

Walking into the kitchen Janet looked around for Sam but didn't see her. Henry, Will, the Big Guy, and a young woman named Kate were all there, but no Sam. She'd woken up alone, and from the moment she awake enough to be aware she had an off feeling she couldn't explain. She looked everywhere she could think of to find Sam, but she didn't seem to be in the house. She was just about to say good morning when she felt herself being wrapping in a pair of strong arms and lifted off the floor.

"You did it!" Henry said as he hugged the woman. "The Doc just called up. Ash is awake. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Janet squeaked.

The Big Guy smacked Henry in the head. "Put her down, boy. Let the poor woman breathe."

"Oh." Henry said sheepishly as he set Janet on her feet. "Sorry."

Janet chuckled. "It's alright Henry. I'm glad Ashley's awake. I'll go down and check on her soon. I was hoping to find Sam in here, lured in by the smell of coffee, did I miss her?"

Will shook his head. "Haven't seen her since last night."

"Wasn't she with you?" Henry asked.

Janet nodded. "Yes, but she was already out of bed by the time I woke up."

There was something in the small woman's face, something in her voice. Biggie titled his head and grunted. "You're worried about her."

For several long moments Janet just looked at everyone. They didn't really know each other; they'd been thrust into this odd situation and hadn't really had time to process it all. And yet there was something, a feeling, an instinct that told her that these people were now a part of their lives, a part of Sam's life. "A little." She finally admitted. "It's just that, now that she's done with what she was brought here to do, now that she doesn't have the work to keep her mind busy…"

"She can't hide from how she's feeling." Will cut in. "She doesn't have anything to distract her from what she just found out about herself, about Magnus and Thomas, and everything else that's been thrown at her."

Janet nodded. "Exactly." She sighed softly and smiled gratefully when the Big Guy gave her a mug of coffee. "I'd actually be a little more worried if we were at home. If we were at home, she'd be out on her Indian riding though the mountains. That thing makes me nervous when she's riding and isn't emotionally distracted."

Will, Henry, and the Big Guy all shared a look. It was Henry who asked, "Sam's into riding motorcycles?"

"Riding, restoring, rebuilding." Janet nodded, her smile warm and loving as she spoke of the woman she loved. "Motorcycles, cars, jets, spaceships." She laughed softly, not even noticing the last thing she’d listed. "She's a little bit of an adrenaline junkie." When she saw the three share that look again, the one that said they were having a silent conversation, the same look she'd seen her own boys have with Sam, she asked, "What?"

"If Sam managed to find the garage." Henry said after biting his lip for a moment. "Well, Ash loves a good sport bike. There's a couple of custom Hondas and a couple standard Ducati."

"Sport bikes?" Janet repeated and sunk into a chair. "Great."

The Big Guy grunted as he put a hand on Janet's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll see if one's missing."

"Ok so let me get this straight." Ashley said as she looked at her mother with pure amusement. "You had sex with an alien?"

"Well, no, he was human while we were together." Helen replied.

"But he's an alien when he's not human?" Ashley said with a chuckle that made her groan. "Ok, Mom, seriously you're never ever allowed to whinge about my boyfriends again."

Helen had been carefully explaining things to Ashley. She didn't want to go into too much detail to soon, but she did need to explain Sam. The moment they meet face-to-face Ashley would have instant questions about the woman who looked like them, so much like Helen. She was about to tell Ashley that she had a theory about these Ancients being really old, perhaps some of the first, Abnormals. And if this was the case, then it would have been the Abnormal gene that had given them the power to do this ascending thing. But she was stopped by a soft grunt in the doorway. Helen turned and smiled brightly, "Come in old friend."

"Hiya Big Guy!" Ashley greeted with a bright smile and a little wave.

Biggie set the tray down he'd carried in and walked over to the bed. He carefully hugged Ashley, holding her in his arms so tenderly, and taking in deep breathes full of her scent.

"Biggie," Ashley warned gently. "I can't handle Mom and you crying so don't, ok?"

"Ok." The Big Guy grunted. He pulled away and looked at Magnus. "She's alright?"

"She'll need rest and time to recover fully but yes she's alright." Helen answered.

Biggie gently cuffed Ashley upside the head. "Don't ever do that again."

"Gee you'd think a girl could get some sympathy after coming back from the dead." Ashley teased.

Ashley's teasing both pained Helen and absolutely thrilled her. It would be a long time before this whole affair didn't cause her pain, but it was so unbelievably good to have her cheeky little monkey back, that that pain paled in comparison. She sat and watched her old friend and her daughter for several minutes with a soft smile. Then she noticed that the Big Guy was giving her a certain look, so she followed him over to where he'd left the tray and lowered her voice so only he would hear her. "What is it?"

"Samantha is gone." Biggie told her.

Helena's eyes widened and was once again flooded with panic and fear. "What do you mean gone?"

"Took one of the custom bikes." Biggie told her. "Not sure when. Doctor Fraiser woke up alone. She's worried."

Helen sighed. She understood why Samantha needed space. Now that they didn't have the buffer of saving Ashley there was nothing keeping them from dealing with their new truths. Other than knowing she was a magnificently brilliant scientist; Helen knew nothing about the daughter she didn't even know she had until a few short days ago. She would have to rectify that. "Thank you. I'll handle it."

She didn't know where she was going other than away from the Sanctuary. Sam needed space to think, to breathe, so when she stumbled across the garage and the bikes, she couldn't help herself. She was more an Indian even a Harley girl, but the pure speed the costume Honda offered fit her current mood. Sam tore through Old City and was somewhere in New City before she finally slowed down enough to allow herself to think. It wasn't that her life had been a lie; no one had lied to her because no one had known they weren't living the truth. As far as Jacob and Debra Carter were concerned, she'd been their naturally born daughter. As far as Helen Magnus was concerned, she'd given birth to only one child, Ashley. Her life hadn't been a lie, but it hadn't been true either. Sam couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she'd been left with her mother, and then she instantly felt guilty because how could she think of having any life but the one she'd lived with her parents? She thought about her life, about her childhood. It hadn’t been perfect, but she’d grown up in a loving home with loving parents who were flawed, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Then she thought about everything Helen had missed out on, all of her milestone moments witnessed by strangers, and that hurt Sam in a way she wasn’t sure she’d understand if not for Cassie being in her life. 

Then there was the little girl who'd lost her mother when she was so very young who still craved that kind of relationship. She knew her Mom could never come back to her, Samantha learned to understand death early in life, but there were so many times she wished for, prayed for a mom, for someone who'd understand her, who would be there for her; someone who knew what to do with her, who could show her how to be Samantha and not just a good little solider. 

The past was the past and, the use of sun flares notwithstanding, it couldn't be changed. So where did that leave her now? What did she want from this new turn in her life? What did Helen want? What was she expecting of Sam? Even now, even at her age, Sam would watch Janet and Cassandra, and Janet with her own mother, and feel envious. Could she have that with Helen? Was it too late to have that kind of relationship with her? Helen hadn't raised her, they were strangers, and yet they'd had that moment in front of Sally's tank. Sam had been hit by the hurt of this whole mess for the first time and without hesitation Helen had stepped in too sooth the hurt away.

Sam managed to come out of her thought and emotion fueled haze just before she went careening over the sudden end of the bridge. She slammed on the brakes, turned the bike sideways into a low drift, and stopped just short of going over the edge. Shutting the bike down she got off and pulled off her barrowed helmet. She peered over the edge of the sudden dead ended bridge and nearly threw up into the dark waters below when she realized she nearly drove off it. Putting her hands on her knees she doubled over as she caught her breath and waited for her heart to slow down. Deciding she'd better clear her head before getting back on the bike she sat down and let her legs hang over the edge. She took in her surroundings, took in Old City on the other side of the river, and New City on her side, and for the first time wondered, "Where the hell are we exactly?"

Helen was waiting in the garage when Sam finally returned. She watched with the eyes of a mother and a doctor as the tall, slender, shorthaired blonde got off the bike. She didn't see any injury, any physical abnormality, so she relaxed a little. Sam had returned safe and sound. When Sam took off the helmet and spotted her, she had the most adorable 'oh crap totally busted' look on her face that made it damn near impossible for Helen not to grin.

"Um, hi." Sam said to the dark-haired woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Good morning, Samantha." Helen said before making a point of looking at her watch. "Or should I say afternoon."

Sam actually blinked in surprise. She checked her own watch and said, "Crap. Janet's gonna be pissed."

"She's worried." Helen said honestly. "Once she's reassured that you're safe and sound, then yes, I'm quite sure she'll be pissed.”

The look she was getting let Sam know Janet wasn't the only one who’d been worried and was now upset with her and it made her squirm. The feeling was made worse because she wasn't sure how she felt about any of this.

"I thought you were an experienced rider?" Helen questioned while eyeing what Sam had on.

Sam looked down at herself. She had on jeans, a tank top, and a light denim jacket. "We were in Morocco when Thomas came for us. I didn't have my bike leathers packed for a sandy vacation." She looked up at Helen, smirked, and added, "The chafing would have been unbearable."

Ok Helen couldn't stop the grin that time. "Cheeky." She said with a shake of her head before letting the grin and amusement fade. "You could have borrowed mine. They might be a little loose in the hips, but otherwise would have fit, and would have been much safer than what you have on."

"Thanks.” Sam said as she came closer. “But I’m fine, Helen, really.” 

Now that Sam was closer Helen could see the rode wear on the leg of her jeans and her eyes widened. "Fine, are you? What happened there?"

Sam looked down and flinched. "Nothing, it's fine, just an old pair of jeans, no skin. Guess I'm just use to something a little heavier, a little bigger." And bridges that don't suddenly come to an end in the middle. Deciding she didn't want to continue down wherever this road was leading Sam asked, "Ashley?"

Helena softened and smiled. "Awake, thank god. She's incredibly sore and having some muscle spasms but otherwise she's fine."

"That's great." Sam said with a genuinely happy smile. "The soreness and spasms will stop, they're a side effect off the electrical charge used in the transfer process. They can be a bit painful though. I had twinges in my legs for a week afterward that felt like someone was poking me in the calf with a cattle prod. Janet knows just how to manage the recovery from this, so Ashley’s in good hands."

"Yes, we've already started talking about Ashley's recovery. She's quite remarkable your Janet Fraiser." Helen said as she locked gazes with Sam. It was a little odd to be looking into eyes so much like her own, Ashley's were hers in shape, but her shade of blue was closer to John's.

Sam beamed at that. "Yeah, she is."

"Which is why worrying her the way you did is unacceptable, Samantha." Helen scolded. "In fact, you've had us all rather worried. You've been gone for hours." Moving her arms from being crossed over her chest to her hips she asked, "And just how did you know there was a tracking device to disable on the bike?"

"I had a hunch." Sam answered with a shrug. "Look, Helen…"

"You need to go inside and find Janet." Helen said firmly, cutting Sam off. "Let her know you're ok, talk to her. Then come find me. Ashley would like to meet you if you're up to it, and I think you and I need to talk."

"Helen, I…" Sam tried again.

"Samantha." Helen replied, her tone making it clear that Sam shouldn't argue when it's imposable to win.

"Yeah ok." Sam said after a long moment of just standing there looking at the woman. "Janet?"

"In the library." Helen answered.

Sam gave her a sheepish smile. "Thanks." She started walking towards the door to the house then stopped and turned back to look at Helen. "I don't know how to do the whole parent child mother daughter thing. My Mom died when I was twelve, and the only way I could relate to my Dad was to become like him, to become a good solider so we would have something in common." Sam looked lost like she didn't know why she'd felt the need to tell Helen any of this. "I don't know how this works, how this is supposed to work."

Helen walked over and took Sam's hand in her own and gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out together, Samantha. Ok?" Sam still looked unsure but a little more at ease when she nodded. "Good. Now, go on, go find your lovely lady and apologize for worrying her so badly." Helen's warm smile shifted into a smirk. "This is the part where you do as your mother tells you."

Sam actually smiled at that. She decided to head to the guest room she and Janet were sharing and change before going to library. If a torn pant leg upset Helen it would really upset Janet. While Janet knew Sam was an experienced rider, and even enjoyed herself when she would agree to go out for a ride with Sam, she was still too much of a doctor not to think of Sam’s bikes as death traps. Walking into the massive library Sam whistled low and slow as she took in her surroundings. "Well I think we've found Daniel's idea of heaven."

Janet's head snapped up. "Sam!"

"Hey." Sam said as she walked over to where Janet was sitting. Her lover was quick to her feet and as soon as she was close Janet was hugging her. "I'm sorry about running off."

"Are you alright?" Janet asked as she took a step back to look Sam over carefully.

"Hungry, but otherwise I'm ok." Sam replied.

Janet looked up to look into Sam's eyes. Reaching up she cupped Sam's face in her hands as she asked, "Did you sort things out?"

"A little, maybe." Sam answered honestly, and then sighed deeply. "I don't know."

"None of this changes who you are, Sam." Janet said gently. "It just adds to it. It's a bit reversed, but you're facing a lot of the same things Cassandra has. Accepting me as her mom didn't make her other mom any less significant to her or her life. Wanting, needing, to have a relationship with Helen won't tarnish or harm what you had with Debra. What was it you said to Cassie? Your Mom loved you with all her heart and what she would want most is for you to have what you need to be happy, she would want you to be loved, to be cared for, to have someone be there for you since she can't."

Sam took in what Janet was saying and bit her lip. She smiled softly as she said, "You're right, and I'm sorry for taking off the way I did."

Janet smiled and then stretched up to kiss Sam, wrapping her arms around her neck as she stood slightly on the tips of her toes. They lingered alone in the library a little while longer before heading to the kitchen to find some lunch. The ride had helped clear Sam’s head, so had the near drop off the bridge, and Janet had soothed her heart and helped her feel a bit stronger. Leaving Sam feeling as if she could handle whatever came next. While they ate Sam asked about Ashley. Janet updated her on the girl medically but also got down to what Sam really wanted to know, what was she like. Sam smiled when the first word Janet used was spunky. "Well," Sam said as she finished her lunch. "I suppose I should go meet my sister."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Janet asked.

Sam shook her head and smiled when Janet squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

Janet nodded her understanding. "Come find me after."

Sam nodded and kissed Janet before going to find Helen. She wasn't hard to find. Helen was in her study. Sam knocked on the open door and waited until Helen invited her in. She walked towards the desk, noticing a monitor beside Helen that displayed Ashley asleep in her medical room. As she passed, Sam gave a small smile to the Big Guy, who was clearly mother hen-ing Helen which Sam found amusing.

Everyone was carefully tiptoeing around the whole Helen and Sam situation, walking on eggshells until the two figured things out for themselves, the Big Guy was to big not to knowingly crack a few. "You had your mother worried." He grunted at Sam. "The little doctor too."

It caught her off guard, the words ‘her mother’, and it caused Sam to stumbled over her words as her eyes darted between Helen and the Big Guy. "I didn't mean too." She said honesty. The way they were looking at her made her suddenly think, Helen had just found her, had just found out she'd been taken from her, and then Sam up and disappears. She turned to look at Helen when she said, "I'm sorry."

Helen simply nodded with a soft forgiving smile. The Big Guy however growled at Sam. "Leave a note next time."

Helen tried not to look amused but failed miserably at the stunned and yet somehow chastised look on Sam's face. When Sam turned to look at her she smirked. She waited for Sam to say something but when she didn’t, she decided to just move on. "Everything settled with Janet?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. We talked, said some things that needed to be heard, we're good."

"I'm glad." Helen replied.

"So, um," Sam said as she reached back to rub her neck. "Is Ashley up for a visitor?"

Getting to her feet Helen nodded. "If we don't go down soon, she'll come up to find you."

As they made their way down to the med lab Sam wondered if it would always be awkward between them. She surprised herself when she found herself hoping not. Parentage aside Helen was one of the most fascinating people Sam had ever met. She was a one hundred and fifty-eight year old Victorian English immortal for heaven's sake! She was a woman who became a scientist during a time when it truly was a man's world. She ran a worldwide super-secret network whose mission was to save the unbelievable. Helen Magnus was, as Jack would say, cool! And she was Sam's mother.

Helen glanced over at Sam on the elevator ride down just in time to see the brilliant grin on her face and she wondered what had put it there.

Ashley had heard her mother's heels as she came down the hall, so she was watching the door as Helen and Sam walked in. She gave her mother a warm smile to let her know she was still ok and then she turned her attention to the woman walking in just behind her mother. She eyed Sam from head to toe, took in her face and looked into her eyes. "Jesus Christ Mom, how strong are your genes?"

Taking the question seriously Helen looked at her daughters carefully, cataloging each and every similarity between them and herself. Then she absolutely beamed as she replied, "Extraordinarily strong, apparently."

"So, the life saving thing, thanks for that." Ashley said as she and Sam continued trying to get the measure of the other. "Pretty impressive first impression."

Sam couldn't help but smile, though it was a careful, small smile. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Just able to help? Seriously?" Ashley eyed Sam carefully and then shook her head with an amused look. "The modesty thing is for real? Wow, ok. You did a little more than just help."

"She's right Samantha." Helen said gently.

Sensing Sam was getting uncomfortable Ashley cut in before their mother could go all mushy. "Which is why I'm totally not mad that you got to ride the new custom CBR before me." She flashed Sam a wicked smile as she asked, "So how was it?"

"Not what I'm used to," Sam admitted. "But the speed and handling, oh, so incredible."

Helen stepped back as she watched her daughters bond over their love of motorcycles. It was incredibility surreal, and she was flooded with so many mixed emotions. Happiness and a sense of contentment knowing both of her children were safe and sound, and in her life again. Anger and resentment over what had been taken not only from her but also from Ashley, and from Henry and the Big Guy as well, the family that should have been. Fear and anxiety, what if she lost them again? What if something, someone, tried to take them away from her again? For now, she wanted to focus on them. She wanted to focus on getting to know Sam and developing a relationship with her. She wanted to focus on Ashley and helping her recover not only physically but emotionally after everything that's happened. Then she would focus on making sure no one ever touched her family again. Hell hath no fury like a pissed off protective Helen Magnus.


	7. Chapter 7

The melody was as familiar and comforting to Sam as Janet's voice or the whoosh of wormhole energy that expanded from the Stargate. The song had lingered in her dreams like a phantom guardian for as long as she could remember. Sitting on the floor with her back against the glass of Sally's tank Sam relaxed as she listened to the mermaid's beautiful voice inside her head while listening to Cassandra's voice over the phone. Cassie was staying with Jack while they were away. They knew she was safe with him. They trusted Jack more than most when it came to Cassie, and Cassie trusted him too which was important. They didn't like lying to Cassie, and they knew that Cassie still felt some insecurity and needed to know where they were and that they were ok, so Janet had called to tell her that their plans had changed and they weren't in Morocco anymore. They didn't go into any of the finer details, everyone was playing things close to the vest right now, but Cassie could tell there was something going on.

"Yeah kid, I'm sure." Sam said reassuringly. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine." Closing her eyes Sam held in a soft sigh. "It’s complicated Cass. I promise when we get home, I'll explain everything." She scrubbed her hand through her hair and rubbed her neck. Sally's song became a little more pronounced, calming her, and she couldn't help but smile. "In a few days, a week at most. Your Mom's sticking around for moral support. I'll send her home if you… Are you sure? Ok, then we'll see you in a week. I love you too kid. Bye."

"Kid?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow as she slowly made her way closer to where Sam sat.

Sam looked up, startled. "Ashley."

When she saw Sam pushing to her feet Ashley shook her head and motioned for her to stay put. She walked over and took a seat beside Sam, pressing up against the glass of Sally's tank. Closing her eyes an instant smile bloomed on her lips when she heard Sally's voice in her mind. "Missed you too, Sally."

Sam watched the content look that washed over Ashley's face. She waited until Ashley opened her eyes and looked at her before asking, "Should you be up and moving around already?"

"Janet said it was alright." Ashley replied. "As long as I didn't go far."

"I'm probably thinking she meant to stay in the medical wing." Sam said with a smirk.

Ashley shrugged before leaning her head back against the glass again. Sally was singing for both of her friend's daughters now, and they could feel the pure joy the mermaid felt in being able to do so. "So, the kid on the phone you love?"

Sam shifted so she was back to sitting comfortably against the glass. "Janet's daughter, Cassandra."

Turning her head to look at Sam, Ashley found herself scrutinizing the older woman again. It was beyond weird to wake up from a living nightmare to find out you were rescued by a sister you never knew you had. It was going to take some getting use too. "Just Janet's?"

"Officially, yes." Sam answered. "But, no, not really." She thought about how to explain Cassandra and decided to go with, "She's Henry to my Helen, I guess."

"She's a werewolf cub you found orphaned and alone on the Scottish Moors?" Ashley asked with amusement and anticipation of Sam’s reaction.

Sam laughed. "No, she's a human alien I found orphaned and alone on a distant planet." She paused a moment and then sat up and looked at Ashley with wide eyes. "Henry's a werewolf?"

Ashley laughed despite the pain it caused. "Didn't get to that part yet? I thought Mom hauled you off to have a little heart to heart?"

"Nope, didn't get to that part yet." Sam said as she leaned back. "That was the plan, but something came up."

"A ghoul?" Ashley asked with a bright look of excitement in her eyes. When Sam gave her an odd look of confusion she chuckled. "That's what I call the Abnormals. It drives Mom nuts which is why I do it."

"Ah." Sam replied and then shrugged. "Doctor Zimmerman came to get her on our way upstairs. He didn't say anything specific since I was there."

The underlaying tone of Sam’s voice and the slight pinch around her eyes caught Ashley's attention. "You and Will don't get along?"

"He was trying to look out for Helen." Sam said simply and shrugged. 

Titling her head Ashley thought this over for a moment and then said, "Oh, he was being a pain in the ass skeptic again. Yeah, he does that. Annoying as hell."

The two fell quiet for a few moments. They both radiated a mix of awkwardness and curiosity, apprehension, and excitement. For Ashley it had to do with suddenly having to share her mother in a way she never really had to share her before. Yes, she'd grown up with Henry, he was the closest thing to a brother she could get, but there was this invisible boundary that hadn't ever really been crossed. Henry might have been like a son to Helen, but he wasn't her son. Sam was her daughter, just as much as Ashley was, and that would take time for Ashley to adjust too. For Sam it was dealing with just one more element in her life that she'd missed out on. She loved Mark, he was her brother, but they'd always been so vastly different. She and Ashley seemed to have more in common and Sam wondered, she couldn't stop wondering, what it would have been like to grow up with her little sister. She was also worried about how she was disrupting this family she was suddenly thrown into, and how this would change things for her family as well.

When the silence became to awkward Ashley blurted out, "I can be there when you tell Mom she's a grandmother, right? Because I really, really, want to see her face when you tell her. She can actually be a little vein sometimes."

"Well she does look amazing for a woman who is a hundred and fifty-eight years old." Sam said with a chuckle. “I think we can overlook a little vanity on her part.” 

Their teasing conversation at Helen’s expense was cut short by voices coming down the hall from the elevator. They both recognized Helen's accented voice, her tone firm, commanding. "Until the Cabal is completely dismantled and the ones responsible for what happened to her are held accountable, no one outside this house is to know Ashley's alive and well. Am I clear gentlemen?"

Ashley knew the second voice. It was Nikola. "We've nearly wiped out the top but some of the lower level peons are fracturing into little rouge groups, but don't worry my dearest Helen, we'll deal with them."

"Thank you, Nikola." Helen said softly.

"I have a few more leads to follow up on." The third voice said.

"Son of a bitch." Ashley hissed when she heard that voice.

Sam looked instantly concerned. "What's wrong?"

Just as Sam asked the three people the voices belonged to walked into the rotunda like space that served as the main lab and operations center. Two men flanked Helen on either side as they walked in. One was Helen's height, average build, short kind of spiky brown hair, green eyes, and a smugness that just kind of rolled off him like stink from a dead fish, or arrogance off Rodney McKay. The other man was taller than Helen, slender, bald, with blue eyes that seemed kind of familiar. Her head turned quickly to look at Ashley who was getting to her feet, so Sam stood up as well.

Before Helen had a chance to speak the tall man came towards them with a look of disbelief, careful hope, and deep sadness. "Ashley?"

"Really Mom?" Ashley asked as she looked past John Druitt to her mother. "You had to tell him?"

"He had a right to know." Helen said gently.

Ashley snorted. "Since when?"

"Ashley." Helen said with a soft sigh.

When John reached out to touch her Ashley took a step back. She looked over at her mother questioningly.

"It's alright." Helen reassured. "The EM field is up."

Ashley nodded. She set her jaw and looked at John. When he reached for her again, she didn't move, she let him caress her cheek. "Satisfied?"

"This is miraculous." John breathed. Turning to Helen he asked, "And she is well? No remaining effects from what they did to her?"

"Yes, it is miraculous. And yes, she's fine, John. Not a trace of any of the manipulations they put her through." Helen said with a bright smile. "And we have Samantha to thank. She, and those with her, saved Ashely’s life."

Ashley didn't even know she was doing it, but when John turned to look at Sam, she stepped between them to protect her sister.

Sam noticed. "Ashley?"

"Sam, meet Jack the Ripper." Ashley said with enough snark to make Nikola grin. Then she huffed and added, "He’s also my dad."

Both men took Sam in. Nikola took several steps closer to look Sam over more carefully and suddenly his eyes went wide with shock and perhaps a touch of awe and a flicker of jealously. "Oh, my, my, another mini Magnus."

Helen hadn't told them who Sam was. She should have known Nikola would see it, and she swore at her oversight internally as her gaze cut to John. The man was possessive of her on a good day. To have other lovers was one thing, but to have borne another man’s child, well his reaction to that worried her, which is why she hadn't intended on saying anything. There was a flash of something in John's eyes, as he looked Sam over before turning that gaze to Helen. She was proud of herself for not flinching under that gaze. "It's a long, complicated story that is quite frankly none of your concern."

"Have you hidden away any more children, Helen?" John asked, his voice slipping into that soft menacing tone he used when he gave in to his darker nature. "A son with James? Or a little bat with Tesla? Perhaps an invisible bastard or two? Does her father know she exists? Did you tell her he was dead as well?"

Nikola scoffed in a vain attempt to defuse the moment. "I don't do children; not even with our lovely Helen."

Anger and hurt flushed Helen's cheeks as she stepped up to John. She slapped him, hard, making Nikola and Sam flinch while Ashley grinned a silent cheer. "Watch yourself, John."

"I was taken from her." Sam said, finally speaking up. She felt a strange sense of anger bubble up over the way John spoke to Helen. The pain she saw in the older woman's eyes, the hurt he knowingly caused her, made Sam wish she had a zat or a P90 on hand. "Stolen in the middle of the night, snatched right out of the crib." She'd closed the distance between herself and John, moving away from Ashley's protection. She showed no fear as she stared at the man. She'd dealt with worse. "Her memories were altered so she couldn't remember me. She had no idea I existed until now. None of this was her doing or her fault so leave her alone."

John looked at Sam and then suddenly let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "Oh, sweet karma."

Sam's hands balled into fists as she stepped even closer to John. "You think hurting Helen is funny?"

"Samantha." Helen said gently as she put her hand on Sam's upper arm. She gently made the younger woman step back. There was a painful twist in her stomach, a spike of fear as Sam got within reach of John. She was honestly afraid he'd hurt her.

John and Sam glared at each other before John smirked, "Mini Magnus indeed." He gave Sam a slight nod of his head as he said, "You saved Ashley and for that I am grateful."

"You're welcome." Sam replied. "But I didn't do it for you, I did it for Helen."

John turned once more to Ashley. He watched her for a few moments, just drinking her in, and then he smiled. "I am glad you're alright."

Ashley snorted. "Sure, you are. Thanks for stopping by. You can leave now."

"Yes." John replied. "I must be off. Still so much to be done."

They stood there and watched as John walked back down the hall towards the elevator. For several long moments the remaining four just stood there in the uncomfortable silence until Sam finally said, "Well, now I think I understand that soft spot I had for the lunatic fringe when it came to men. Clearly, it’s a genetic trait."

Three sets of eyes looked at Sam. Helen was taken aback, Nikola looked impressed, and Ashley just burst out laughing.

Nikola had required the use of Helen's tech labs to make adjustments to a weapon he was using against the Cabal's many types of abnormal soldiers. Sam couldn't pass up the chance to see Nikola Tesla work, so despite knowing Helen wanted to talk to her she asked the odd man if she could tag along. Nikola couldn't refuse the chance to investigate Helen's lost girl, so he agreed. Helen took Ashley back to the med lab. It would give them a chance to talk, about what Ashley remembered, about seeing John, about how she was feeling. Helen was hoping that submerging herself in the familiar, being a mother to Ashley, would help give her a solid foundation for becoming a mother to Samantha.

After Ashley had fallen asleep following their talk Helen headed for the tech lab. When she walked in, she found Henry and Kate standing out of the way while Sam and Nikola debated over his weapon. "What's going on?"

Henry had the biggest smirk on his lips as he said, "Vald doesn't like that someone's smarter than him."

"I'm not saying it's a bad design." Sam argued. "I'm saying it won't work, at least not the way you have it built."

"It will work fine." Nikola huffed. When Sam went to say something else, he held up his hand. "Child, I have been inventing and building the world's greatest discoveries since horse and buggies crowded the streets, oil lamps and candles burned in every room, and your mother still wore petticoats and corsets."

Sam held up her hands as Nikola picked up his weapon. "Fine, but it's not going to work."

Nikola waved her off and Sam walked over to join the others. She watched as Nikola prepared to test his weapon and just before he pulled the trigger, she unconsciously nudged Helen back a few steps and then stood in front of her as if to shield her. The gesture was both touching and rather amusing to Helen. Nikola pulled the trigger, the weapon made a whining noise, and then backfired causing him to drop the weapon on the table with a yelp. Sam did her best not to smirk or say I told you so, but Henry wasn't that polite. "Ha! Sam was right!"

Nikola turned a frustrated almost angry glare towards the group, glaring at them all before focusing on Sam. "If you think you can do better be my guest."

Sam looked over at Henry, "It’s your lab, Henry. May I?"

"Knock yourself out Sammie." Henry said with a wide grin.

She normally hated being called Sammie. The only person she allowed to call her that was Cassie, but there was just something about the way her new kind-of-sort-of brother said it that made her not mind so much. She gave him a beaming smile and then walked over to the bench. She looked around the room and gathered a few things before getting to work. While Sam reconfigured the weapon's inner workings Helen looked over the burn on Nikola's hand while he grumbled. It was already starting to heal.

"You should have listened to her in the first place." Kate said to Nikola. "I mean, did you see the massive set up she built in the main lab to save Ashley?"

Nikola looked at the dark-haired woman before growling, "Who are you again?"

"She's a guest Nikola leave her alone." Helen ordered gently.

Kate flashed a grin and Nikola scowled.

When Sam was finally finished, she looked over what she'd done to make sure she'd gotten everything and then held up the weapon. "That should do it."

Nikola snorted. "As if you're tinkering did more than make the problem worse." Walking over to Sam he took the weapon from her, and looking over what she did, he shook his head and grumbled.

"Just test it already Count Grumps-a-lot." Henry said.

"Mongrel." Nikola retorted before holding the weapon out and aiming it at the test dummy across the room. The weapon worked perfectly. Nikola's eyes went wide in astonishment.

Helen looked proud. Henry whooped while throwing a fist in the air. Sam simply explained what she did as if it were no big deal and then smiled softly.

Nikola was impressed, and Helen could tell, but Nikola being Nikola he simply looked at Sam and said, "Well, you're a fresh new pain in my ass aren't you?" Then he smiled at her. "Perhaps next time we meet we can exchange notes over a nice glass of your mother's most expensive wine. There is a bottle of '45 Bordeaux I've been dying to get my hands on. She can hardly be cross with me if you share the bottle with me."

"She most certainly could and would be cross." Helen said with a firm tone that warned her friend against such an act.

Nikola waved her off with a flick of his hand as he said, "Ah well, ce la vie."

It wasn't until later that night that Helen finally had the chance to spend time one on one with Sam. She had been watching Sam, taking her in and letting herself learn as much as she could about the young woman. What intrigued Helen the most was this sense of gentleness in Samantha that reminded her of her own mother. Her mother had been the epitome of the proper Victorian English lady, but she'd also had the kindest heart and was always willing to help those who needed it. Sam had pretty much been kidnapped, forced into this situation by Thomas, and blood ties or not she could have easily refused to help. The young woman didn't even think twice about it, she jumped right in, doing what she could to ease the pain of someone she didn't even know. It was comforting to see Patricia Magnus living on in her granddaughter.

"Sam." The Big Guy grunted as he walked into the living room of the residential wing of the house. "Your mother wants to see you. She's on the north tower roof."

Again, Sam stiffened at the use of your mother, but she smiled at the Bigfoot and nodded. "Thanks." As she got up from the sofa, she flashed him another smile. "Thanks for making blue jello for dessert, Big Guy. I'm guessing Janet told you it’s my comfort food?"

Biggie snuffled and nodded his head. "You're welcome, even though jello is not food."

After Sam left the room Will said, "Hey Big Guy, why don't you chill on the whole mom thing until they're both a little more use to the idea, or until they've decided what exactly they're going to be to one another."

"What's to decide?" Biggie replied. "Magnus is her mother. Sam is her daughter."

"Yeah but…"

Will started to explain that it was a complicated situation, but the Big Guy grunted at him. "They are what they are."

Sam pushed open the door to the roof and stepped out. Helen was sitting on one of the stone, what were those battlements? Sam closed the door quietly behind her before calling out, "Helen?"

Helen looked away from the city and over at Sam while drawing her shawl a little tighter. She smiled warmly at the young woman before motioning towards the block next to the one she was sitting on. When Sam came over and sat, she couldn't keep her smile from brightening. Then she softened a little as she said, "I apologize for being so busy this afternoon. I had hoped we could talk after seeing Ashley this morning."

"You don't need to apologize." Sam reassured. "You needed to make sure things were being handled, that the people who hurt Ashley couldn't hurt her again now that you have her back."

"Yes," Helen said with a nod. "But it isn't only about protecting Ashley from further harm, or Henry, but you now as well."

"Me?" Sam asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"You are my daughter, Samantha." Helen said gently. "There is a very good chance you carry the same gene Ashley does, the one passed on from me, the one tied to my ability."

Sam hadn't thought of that, and now that it was in her head she wondered if Helen's genetic legacy had been that impossible to pinpoint element that Conrad's people had such a hard time figuring out, the one that had nothing to do with the potin marker left by Jolinar or the Naquadah. "Oh."

"I'll run a few tests, with your and Janet’s permission of course." Helen said gently and with a warm smile. "So, we know for sure, but that isn't what I wanted us to talk about." She paused for a moment as she waited for Sam's focus to return to her. "I've been thinking about what you said, about not knowing how the whole parent child dynamic works, and I don't think that's quite true. It's a unique relationship, that of a parent and child, there is no rubric for it." Helen paused to let Sam absorb what she'd said so far. "I am your mother, Samantha. And with each passing second I know that I want that to be in more than just a biological sense. I want to be in your life, and I want you to be in mine."

"Really?" Sam squeaked, a little started by the firmness and conviction in Helen's statement.

"Yes, really." Helen confirmed. "It will obviously take time and work to figure out the dynamics, to get comfortable with each other, to truly get to know each other, so I'm not expecting an instantaneous relationship. I’m not expecting you to start calling me mum or anything like that until you want to, if you ever want to. You had a mum, and you loved her, and I'm grateful you had someone to love you like that. But you are mine, Samantha, and I am here now.” Helen paused for a moment, needing reign in her emotions before she looked at Sam and said, “I don't intend to lose you again, Samantha."

There were tears in Sam's eyes. She wasn't sure what to say. Thankfully, Helen didn't seem to need her to say anything until she was ready. "After my Mom died I kind of built this massive moat around myself, around my feelings. It kept everyone at a distance, and I use to tell myself that it was to keep them safe, but it wasn't. It was to keep myself safe from feeling that kind of pain again. Not even my Dad could cross it." She paused a moment and started to turn away from Helen to hide the tears, but Helen stopped her. Sam felt the woman's warm hand take hold of her face, felt her thumbs wiping away the tears. Sam's breath hitched.

Helen smiled a soft reassuring smile; "I've never let a moat stop me in the past."

Sam smiled. "Janet and Cassie, they managed to get past my defenses, they made me realize it was doing me more harm than good, cutting myself off from being loved, from loving." Sam took a deep breath and nodded her head as a sign that she wanted to try, that she wanted Helen in her life, and that she wanted to forge some kind of a relationship together. Then, after several moments of contemplative silence, Sam said, "I used to wish for you, for another mom because I knew mine couldn't come back."

Helen’s heart broke a bit as she looked into Sam’s eyes and caressed her face. "I'm sorry it took me so long." Helen said gently. "But I’m here now, darling."

"Yeah," Sam said with a slight nod. "Yeah, I want this too. I want our second chance."

Helen lit up. "That's my brave girl."

They stayed out there for a while longer. They talked a little more but mostly they just wanted, needed to be in each other's space. When the night air became to chill for their comfort they headed inside. As they made their way to their rooms for the night Helen suddenly asked, "Samantha, who is Cassie?"

Sam smirked. "I can't say." When Helen gave her a look she laughed. "I promised Ashley she could be around when I told you about Cassie. So, you'll just have to wait until morning."

"Why do I get the feeling you two are going to be two very cheeky little monkeys together?" Helen asked, amused and honestly very excited over watching how things in her family developed now that Sam was home.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the following week Sam got to know everyone at the Sanctuary. She spent most of her time with Helen and Ashley, but she also got to know Henry and the Big Guy. She discovered Will was a nice guy despite their rocky start, and he easy to talk to. He was even funny at times. He seemed to know just what to say and when to say it to make Helen laugh and Sam liked that. She found the sound of Helen's laughter comforting. There hadn't been a whole lot of laugher in her home growing up after Debra's death, it was nice to see a family able to do that despite everything they'd gone through. It was also nice to watch how everyone seemed to accept Kate, though Ashley seemed to be a little uneasy around her. According to Henry it was most likely because Kate shot her with a rocket launcher. That would make anyone uneasy.

As much as Sam thrived off her military conditioning, the laid-back atmosphere of the Sanctuary was a nice change of pace. She and Janet both loved learning more about Abnormals, and Sam found it kind of funny that Helen seemed to find a new best friend in her curious little doctor. Whenever Helen asked Janet if she'd like to assistant in some medical testing or an autopsy Janet jumped at the chance. Though Sam did start to wonder, just how much did the two of then talk about her while they worked alone in Helen's lab?

Not long after she was released from the medical wing Ashley commandeered Sam while Henry liberated several bottles of the Big Guy's home brewed whiskey and a case of the good Canadian beer he had stashed away. The trio made their way into the catacombs to a spot where Ashley and Henry use to hang out when they were younger and spent the evening bonding. Ashley and Henry gave Sam a crash course on dealing with Helen as a mom. Ashley told her that she needed to learn the different tones of Helen's voice, and to be mindful of just how think Helen's accent got.

Henry agreed, "If she starts sounding a little too much like a BBC/PBS Jane Austin Masterpiece Theater movie, hide."

Henry also added in some of the more silly things, like never asking Helen for pudding because she's English and you're not going to end up getting the chocolate pudding you asked for, but some dense cake thing. Never ask if she wants coffee unless you want to hear an extended lecture on why tea made the empire strong. He also warned her away from discovering Helen's stash of imported English candy, "Because she gets grumpy when you eat all the Yorkie and Wispa bars."

"Well yeah wolf boy you ate all of them." Ashley chuckled. "Like boxes of them all in one go."

Of course, that made them all hungry, so Henry was sent off to pilfer some snacks. He returned with his jacket turned into a hobo pack filled with things that included several of Helen's favorites. "To help Sam understand her better."

As they made their way through the alcohol and snacks Henry and Ashley told Sam what it was like for them growing up. They both talked about how Helen had always made them feel safe and strong, and how she always believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves. When things got a little too deep for the fun vibe Ashley had been going for she started talking about some of their adventures and missions. Sam shared as well. She told them about her life growing up, about some of her own adventures, or at least the ones she could tell them about. By the time they polished everything off Sam and Ashley were nicely intoxicated, but poor Henry was flat out drunk.

"For a class nine HAP he is such a light weight." Ashley moaned as she and Sam helped Henry off the elevator and down the hall towards his room.

Sam groaned a little as she tried to keep Henry from falling over, taking her and Ashley with him. "I wish he were a lighter weight. He's heavy for a small guy."

Henry drunkenly growled, "Yous callin' me fat, Sammie?"

"No Henry." Sam replied with a fond smile.

Henry narrowed his eyes as he looked at both of her. "Yous callin me short?"

Sam chuckled. "No Henry, I know better than to pick on a person for their lack of height." She laughed again, a little loudly, as she added, “I mean have you met my girlfriend?”

"Shhh." Ashley hushed them as they paused near the corner of a hallway. "Will you two hush before you wake someone."

Henry snorted. "Doc have to be asleep to awake." He laughed as if what he said was hysterical and Ashley did her best to shush him. "Asides what are the chances she'd be in this wing?” He let go of Sam to point, sending himself and Ashely bumping into the wall as he swung his arm up and to left. “Her room is upstairs and data ways."

"I'd say the chances of me being around were very good." Helen said as she came around the corner Ashley had been trying to peek around before Henry swished her to the wall. She looked the three of them over carefully and fought back the desire to laugh. "Are the lot of you inebriated?"

Ashley said, "No."

Sam said, "Maybe."

Henry nodded and said, "Ya sure you betcha"

Which made Sam laughed. This wasn't her kind of thing, she could count on one hand with fingers left over the times she'd gotten truly good and smashed, but she'd felt so comfortable with Ashley and Henry, so caught up in the moment it had been easy to get carried away. Not to mention the whiskey was really damn good, best she'd ever had in fact.

"While I'm all for the three of you bonding," Helen said as she stood there glaring softly at her children, arms crossed, and weight shifted to her left foot. "I'm not sure this was the best choice of bonding activities. Ashley you're still recovering for goodness sake."

Before Helen could say more Sam looked at Ashley and asked, "Is that the change in tone you were talking about?"

Ashley nodded. Henry said, "S'ok, she doesn't sound like a BBC special yet. We're good."

Helen blinked. She wasn't really sure if she should laugh or be offended. Shaking her head at the three she said, "I should just let you all go to bed and surfer the consequences."

"But you're not, are you?" Ashley asked sweetly. "Cause you don't want Sammie to think you're mean do you?"

If Helen weren’t careful Ashley would figure out that she was particularly vulnerable to that cheeky little grin she was flashing her right now. Normally she would be better at resisting that look, but given the fact that she’d nearly lost Ashley, and was extraordinarily grateful to have her back, Helen would easily cave in to the softest, sweetest of smiles, right now. Helen sighed and shook her head again, "Let’s get you three down to the med lab."

"Ya sure you betcha." Henry said again with a giggle.

Helen had hooked them all up to a banana bag IV drip and then went to inform Janet where she could find Sam. Both doctors had a rather amusing time teasing the three for the next few days. Janet had to admit, at least to herself, that she liked the way Ashley seemed to get Sam to relax in ways Sam never would have before. Sam and Helen's connection was coming along a little more gently. They spent time alone together in Helen's study or walking around the Sanctuary. Helen told Sam about her early life, about what it was like for her before the source blood and after. She told her about Gregory, about the man as well as the scientist. She shared what it had been like losing her own mother so young, and how she totally understood what it must have been like for Sam and Jacob following Debra's death. Sam talked about what it was like to come up through the ranks as a woman, and how it felt when everyone realized the girl was the smartest person in the room and how that didn't always go over well with the men in the room. She talked about her boys, and she told Helen more about Cassandra. Ashley had loved the look on Helen's face when she pointed out that Sam's connection to Cassie sort of made her a grandmother.

It was because of Cassie that Sam and Janet couldn't stay at the Sanctuary any longer then they'd already stayed, a little over a week. Helen wasn't willing to give Sam up just yet, and since she was also equally unwilling to be away from Ashley, the Magnus women decided to head to Colorado Springs. Sam and Janet flew home first, while Helen made sure everything at the Sanctuary was set up and put into safe hands while she was gone. This would give them time to talk to Cassandra, to explain what was going on. It would also give both Sam and Helen a moment to breathe, to adjust and process, before continuing with building their relationship from the ground up.

Three days after they got home there was a knock on Janet's front door. Since she was the closest Cassie went to answer it. Sam had told her about meeting her biological mother and how she looked like her, but it still took Cassie by surprise, "Whoa." She said when she swung open the door to find a dark haired woman with Sam's eyes, and Sam’s dimples when she smiled.

"Hello." Helen greeted. "You must be Cassandra."

Cassie nodded before yelling out, "Um, Sam! You're at the door!"

Ashley laughed while Helen raised an eyebrow.

A few moments later Sam came down the hall from the kitchen and smiled as she approached the trio at the door. "Geesh kid let them in the house for christ sake."

"Oh." Cassie blushed deeply and stepped aside. "I'm sorry. Please come in."

Three days had been long enough apart to make the greetings a little awkward, but when Helen hugged her, Sam relaxed. She relaxed even more when Janet joined them from the kitchen. She gladly welcomed her love's mother and sister to her home, and excitedly introduced them officially to her own daughter. There was a bit of small talk. Henry and the others send their love. The Big Guy sent whiskey.

Cassie had been excited to meet them; Sam had talked a lot about them since coming home, and the pair had bonded even more over their shared experiences of having two sets of parents that they loved dearly, but had to work at making fit into their lives. In a moment of privacy while Sam was showing Ashley what she had out in the garage and Janet was checking on dinner, Cassie told Helen she was glad she'd found Sam. She admitted to noticing how sad Sam got sometimes, and how it normally happened when she and Janet were having a moment together. Cassie was happy Sam finally had a mom to have moments with.

Left on her own when Cassie got a call from a friend, Helen began looking around. She was almost instantly drawn to a framed photograph on one of the shelves. A beautiful young couple with their two happy children, a boy with brown hair and his father's eyes and a girl who was the spitting image of Ashley at that age. It was easy to see why no one ever questioned wither Sam belonged to the Carters, with Debra's coloring, her hair, and eyes, it was easy to believe her Sam's mother.

"We were pretty happy then." Sam said softly from across the room. "Dad was stationed state side at the time so he was home with us for almost a full year."

Helen put the picture back and turned to look at Sam. "She was beautiful Samantha. Even in a photograph you can see how much she loved you and your brother."

Sam nodded, a small, sad smile trying to tug at her lips. "I still miss her.” She admitted quietly. “I used to wait for the day that I wouldn't, thinking it would finally be easier, but it never came, never will."

"No, it never will." Helen agreed. "It's been well over a century and I still miss my mother."

"I know you've said your longevity hasn't always been a blessing,” Sam began after chewing her bottom lip for a moment. “But I got to admit it's kind of comforting to know I won't have to miss you the way I miss her." 

Helen wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she just crossed the room and hugged Sam. It was the first real admission of there being attachment and emotion between them. "I'm not invincible darling, but I swear I'll do my best to make sure you always feel that kind of security."

"Mom, if you keep up all this touchy-feely emotional stuff, they're going to take away your English card." Ashley teased as she walked in to find them hugging again.

Helen pulled away from Sam and glared softly at Ashley. "Oh, hush Ashley."

They spent their first evening as a family having dinner and talking, laughing, and getting to know each other on a different kind of level then they had at the Sanctuary. After dinner Helen commented on how sweet Cassie was which made Sam and Janet laugh. Sam said to give her time; once she was comfortable with them, she'd let her snark out. After opening a bottle of wine Helen wondered if she might see some photos of Sam as a child, Ashley down right demanded to see them. Sam agreed and pulled out what she had. Ashley again commented on the dominance of Helen's genetics. She also laid claim to the affections of Cassie's dog, Jax. "I never had a dog as a kid. Had chupacabra once. His name was Frank. Had a nubbin not long ago but that just went badly."

"Nubbin?" Sam asked, her curiosity peaked.

Ashley nodded and then told them about the Nubbin incident.

"You mean those furby looking things that make Henry sneeze?" Sam shuddered as she added, "Cass has several of those creepy toys and they freak me out."

They talked well into the night with Helen and Sam being the last two to call it an evening. Sam tried to apologize for Helen and Ashley having to share the guest room, but Helen assured her there was no need. She was still in the head and heart space that said the closer she was to her daughters the better. The next morning it was decided that it was best to handle the matter of Sam and the SGC, get it out of the way so to speak so they could enjoy the rest of their visit without worrying someone would pop in once they learned Sam was home. Hammond and Jack, as her commanding officers, needed to know what had happened, and about her new connections. Helen, with her contacts, had been able to get herself and Ashley clearance to visit the base. As Sam drove into the open mouth of the complex Helen huffed. "I knew there was something more under Cheyenne Mountain then Norad."

While Janet helped Helen and Ashley clear the checkpoints, Sam went ahead to prepare everyone for what she had to say and who they were going to meet. Being here made her realize just how important it was to her that everyone got along. Jack and the rest of SG1 were already in the conference room when she walked in.

"Hi Sam." Daniel said cheerfully. "Welcome home."

Teal'c nodded at Sam. "Major Carter."

Jack sprang to his feet with a smile as he said, "Welcome back Carter! About damn time. Why are you out of uniform?"

"Thanks guys." Sam said with a smile. "And I'm not officially back yet, Sir. I just wanted to clarify a few things as soon as possible."

"Like where you've been?" Jack asked. "And why you needed classified tech?"

"Exactly Sir." Sam replied with a firm nod.

Jack took his seat and got comfortable. "Well, out with it, Carter."

Sam looked around for a moment to make sure the General wasn't around and then looked at Jack. Where to start? "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Of course, Carter, go on, let’s have it." Jack replied while waving his hand at Sam in a move on with it motion.

"The Ancients, Sir." Sam said with a look of anger that surprised her teammates. "They're a bag of manipulative, dishonest, self-serving, hypocritical, dicks, Sir."

"Samantha!" Helen scolded as she walked into the room. "Really?"

"You can't say they aren't." Sam huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared softly at Helen. Sam had been so busy trying to save Ashely, and dealing with her feelings about Helen, that she hadn’t really given herself much time to comb through her feelings about the Ancients. At the moment those feelings were a lot of anger and resentment. 

"Well, no I can't, but you could have found a better way to word that." Helen replied gently yet sternly.

Janet was standing beside Ashley grinning like a dork and it made Ashley laughed. "You absolutely love it when Mom does that to Sam."

"Every stinkin' time." Janet admitted. She found it adorable and funny whenever Helen scolded Sam, mainly because Sam reacted so naturally to it and she wasn't even aware she was doing it.

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c just sat in their seats staring. It wasn't Sam's little declaration that surprised them, they'd heard worse from Carter on occasion, but the woman standing beside her that had them caught off guard. Finally, it was Jack who stood up first, Daniel and Teal'c a moment later, while he asked simply, "Carter?"

Sam smiled, pleased at having thrown her guys for a loop and proud that she was getting to introduce everyone. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Teal'c. This is my mother, Doctor Helen Magnus and my sister Ashley. Helen, Ash, this is SG1."

The introduction didn't help; it just made the boys look more confused. Jack actually looked as if something in his head had broken, so it was Daniel who said, "Um, ah, Sam, sorry, but isn't your mom, well, ya know…"

"Dead." Jack finally found his voice.

"Helen is my biological mother." Sam clarified.

"Explains the uncanny resemblance." Daniel said as he looked at the Sam, Helen, and Ashley.

"This is going to get painfully complicated isn't it?" Jack whined while his own gaze shifted between the three women.

Sam nodded. "Yes Sir."

"And it involves the previously mention bag of dicks?" He asked next.

Sam smirked. "Yes Sir."

Jack nodded as he waved at the chairs around the large table. "Ladies, have a seat. I'll get the General. I have a feeling I'm only going to want to hear this once."

When Jack returned with General Hammond Sam introduced him to Helen and Ashley. He greeted them welcomingly, but it was a little odd for him. He'd known Sam since she was a baby and now his memory of her birth was all jumbled. With everyone at the table he asked Sam to go ahead and begin debriefing them all. She told them about Thomas, about how he appeared and showed them his memory of the night Sam was taken, and that he'd transported them to Helen's home. Poor Daniel looked shocked and confused and even angry. He'd been deascended for interfering, and here were the others not just interfering but doing it in a cruel and selfish way. Sam gave him a look of sympathy before continuing. She told them why she needed the tech, and how she was able to find and save Ashley.

"And you believe what this Thomas told you?" Hammond asked, his voice gentle, but his eyes betraying his confusion and growing anger. "About what happened? About who Doctor Magnus is to you?"

Sam nodded but before she could explain further Jack jumped in. "I'm sorry," He looked right at Helen as he said, "You don't look old enough to be her mother," He pointed at Ashley. "Let alone Carter's. What's your deal here lady? What are you up too?"

Janet was the first to respond. "I ran the DNA tests myself, Sir." After spending a week with Helen and her family, and knowing how badly Sam wanted to have a real relationship with her mother, Janet couldn't help but sound defensive. She knew Jack was only looking out for Sam, the same way Will had been looking out for Helen, but Janet wasn't going to let him get in the way of things. Good intentions are not. "Helen is Sam's biological mother. If you need me to, I'll run the tests again here in our labs just so you can be sure, Sir. But this is all the truth."

"Good idea." Jack said. "Redo the tests."

"Sir." Sam protested.

Helen gave Sam a gentle reassuring look that said it was all right. "Their concerns are logical, Samantha. I do look as if I were more an older sister than your mother." Turning her attention to Jack she said, "And there is a very good reason for that."

"Helen." Sam said with a light shake of her head. "You don't have to…"

"I know I don't." Helen replied. "Consider it a sign of good faith. After all, I've seen your secrets, the least I can do is share one of my own, especially if it puts those who care about you at ease." Turning once more to Jack and the General she said, "While I was attending Oxford medical school, I conducted some extraordinary experiments. The effects of which have blessed me with a rather long life span."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Helen as he leaned forward in an almost menacing way. "How long?"

"Exceedingly long." Helen smirked. She and Jack glared at each other for several long seconds before she continued. "On my next birthday I will be one hundred and fifty-nine years of age."

Jack's eyes went wide, and he barked out, "Doc!?"

"She's human, Sir." Janet reassured. "She isn't a Goa'uld or a Jaffa or anything else not of Earth. She's as human as the rest of us, well the us who aren't Teal'c, Sir."

"What kind of wacko experiments were you running, lady?" Jack asked next.

Sam cut in again. "Sir."

"What?" Jack replied sharply.

"Respectfully Sir, back off." Sam nearly growled out.

Jack couldn't hide his surprise. He and Sam just looked at each other for a few moments, not needing words to convey what they were thinking and feeling. Sam appreciated his concern, but she hadn't brought Helen here to be integrated. Finally, Jack said, "Alright Carter, alright."

There were several moments of silence while things in the room settled a bit. Then Hammond said, "I remember taking Jacob to the hospital to see you when you were born." Which made Sam turn her focus on him. "But now I also remember never having left the base."

"That would be Oma's handy work, Sir." Sam explained. "She manipulated everyone's memories. When Helen's were unlocked, the true memories of everyone effected were unlocked as well."

"So, you're saying that Jacob's memory was effected?" The General asked next.

Sam nodded. The concern she felt for her dad evident on her face. "Yes Sir."

Hammond was quiet for a moment before saying, "We tried to contact him. He's on a mission, to deeply undercover to respond, but we were told he would be informed as soon as was possible."

"We might want to let them know he could be emotionally compromised." Jack said to Hammond. "I mean if I suddenly found out my kid wasn't my kid I'd be emotionally compromised."

“If that were to happen, Selmak would take control to get him through.” Sam said, though it was more to reassure herself then others. 

"Are you sure it was Oma?" Daniel asked.

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry Daniel."

"I can't believe she'd do something like that." Daniel said softly. He looked a bit pale, even a bit sick over the thought that his mentor and friend had done something so cruel. 

"Well, she did kind of save my life." Sam replied reassuringly as she looked Daniel in the eye. "The other one was going to kill me."

Daniel shook his head. "They would have ascended you, not killed you. You would have been like Shifu."

"The acts would have been one in the same, Doctor Jackson." Helen said as she glared at the young man. "The one Thomas called Morgan would have ended Samantha's human life." She paused a moment to look him over before asking, "You were once one of these beings, yes?" Everyone looked surprised Helen knew that. Daniel nodded. "Were you at any time aware of what they had done to someone you claim as a friend?"

"Helen." Sam warned softly. She wasn’t going to let her boys treat Helen hostility as they dealt with this new information, and she wasn’t going to let Helen treat her boys like that either. 

"No, it's ok Sam." Daniel cut in. "To be honest with you Doctor Magnus I don't know. I don't remember much from my time among them. They apparently have a thing for screwing with people's memories. I would like to think that if I had found out about Sam, I'd have told her."

Jack was getting a huge headache. "You seem to know a lot about us, Doctor Magnus."

Sam squirmed at his gaze. It was Hammond who said, "Doctor Magnus has the highest clearance a civilian can have, Colonel. I'm assuming the only reason she didn't know about us before is because she never thought to ask."

Helen smiled at the General. "You assume correctly, General Hammond. Until Thomas showed up, I would have sworn extraterrestrial life impossible."

That caused Ashley to remember something and she suddenly laughed as she said, "You have to go to San Diego Comic Con with Henry! You bet him aliens weren't real!"

Helen had forgotten about that bet. "Oh, bloody hell."

That made Jack relax a little. It was a brief flicker of something genuine behind the careful persona of Doctor Magnus. He kind of liked the spunky kid too. "So," He said to get things back on track. "Does this mean Carter has the Ancient gene? I'm getting tired of being the only one who can work their crap."

"Yes." Janet answered. "It's there, but it's not only a recessive gene in Sam, it's dormant."

"Which is why I can't activate Ancient technology the way the Colonel can." Sam added and then glanced over at Jack. “Sorry Sir.” 

"Damn." Jack replied and slouched down into his chair with a pout.

"Major Carter, you mentioned that in the visions you and Doctor Magnus experienced there was a mention of an oncoming storm?" Teal'c said over Jack's grumbling. "Do we know to what that was refereeing?"

Sam shook her head. "Not a clue."

"Bastards want to use Sam but no idea against what." Ashley spat.

Daniel sighed and shook his head. "I am so sorry, Sam."

"You don't have to apologize for them, Daniel." Sam reassured her friend. "For all we know everything you've gone through was them setting you up to use to their advantage too."

They talked a little longer. It wasn't a formal meeting, just Sam filling in her COs on her new life situation, and once that was handled sufficiently there wasn't really anything left to do but show Ashley and Helen around. Sam was actually really excited about that part. Her Dad was a military man through and through and didn't really understand Sam's scientific work. She didn't doubt he was proud of her, but it would be kind of nice to have someone who actually understood her work be proud of her too. Especially when that someone was a woman like Helen Magnus, a brilliant scientist in her own right, but more importantly her mother.

Before she had the chance to leave the room Jack called Sam over for a private word. He waited until the others were gone before asking, "Are you really ok with this Carter? I mean this whole thing is, well, it's kind of messed up."

Sam gave her friend a reassuring smile. "It's wonky, Sir." She agreed. "But I think it's a good wonky. So, yes Sir, I'm ok. I'm good."

He watched her for a moment and then nodded. Yeah, he could see it. There was a brightness in her eyes he'd never seen before. It was the same kind of new light he'd seen when things shifted between her and Janet. "Good. I'm glad. Second chances are rare, Carter. Make this one count." He finally replied. Then just because he was Jack and he couldn't end things on a mushy note he said, "Your mom's kinda weird."

Sam laughed. "Oh Sir, you don't know the half of it."


	9. Chapter 9

As much as they might have wanted to put the world on hold their lives had to go on, which meant Helen had to return to Old City, leaving Sam to her life in Colorado Springs. A week after saying their goodbyes Sam was still walking around like a ten-year-old who's first place science ribbon had been plastered on the fridge. Helen had been incredibly impressed with Sam's achievements, her work, and her brilliance. Sam had seriously geeked out while showing Helen around and for once someone followed along and got it. Sam didn't have to dumb it down because if Helen didn't understand she asked Sam to explain it to her, and she understood the explanations. The day spent at the SGC had gone a long way to opening things up for Helen and Sam, and by the time her mother and sister had to leave Sam was in a much more stable place about the whole situation.

It was still a bit new to Sam, having a parent who was willing to engage so freely, and she still had moments of uncertainty. She actually had to ask Janet if she should call Helen and how often does one call their mother. The choice was made easier when Sam arrived at the base to find several creates addressed to her. After opening one to find a very familiar looking robotic arm her eyes went wide. "She didn't." She'd breathed out in wonder. Sure, enough by the time she had all the creates open she had everything she would need to build a complete auto assist apparatus, albeit a much smaller one than the one she'd used in the Sanctuary. The note that she found with the computer components read, 'I did say I had several birthdays and holidays to make up for. Love Helen.'

When Janet vetoed the idea of setting it up in the garage Sam was forced to accept the fact that she'd have to set it up on base and would probably end up having to share it. She was given the large lab across from hers and was elbow deep in putting the auto assist together with a team of techs when the alarms went off and Harriman's voice called out an unscheduled off world activation. Sam struggled with the idea of staying to continue work on the best birthday/Christmas make up gift ever or going up to the command center. The choice was made for her when the General called the lab and asked her to report to his office. She told her team to take a break and locked the lab, because damnit it was her new toy, and then went to see what Hammond wanted.

"Dad." Sam said in surprise when she walked into the office to find Jacob with Hammond.

Jacob seemed to relax the instant he saw her. "Hey kid." He said as he walked over to hug her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine." Sam replied as she returned the hug.

"George has been filling me in." Jacob said as he stepped back from his daughter. "But it's not true, Sam, it can't be. Someone's screwing with our heads."

Sam's heart broke. The look in her father's eyes, the fear and pain, it was kind of surprising to see. She didn't doubt he loved her, but he'd never been the express your emotions freely type. Jacob had shown his love by taking care of her. "I'm sorry, Dad. It's true. Biologically speaking I'm…" She couldn't say, I'm not yours; she couldn't hurt him like that. "Biologically…"

"Biology doesn't change the fact that you raised her, Jacob." George said when Sam couldn't find the right words. "Helen Magnus and this Thomas fella might be Sam's biological parents but you're still her dad."

Sam gave Hammond a look that said she was more grateful than she could say for his help. Then she looked at Jacob and nodded. "He's right. You're my Dad and nothing's changed that."

Jacob just shook his head. Ever since he'd been hit with the new memories all he could think about was Sam. Selmak had to take complete control or Jacob would have thrown months of work infiltrating Yu's ranks out the airlock. "I remember bringing you home from the hospital, Sam. That feels more real to me than waking up to find a baby and baby things in the house. I remember you as a newborn, all tiny, squishy and pink, not, what, a month or two old?"

"A little more than six weeks." Sam said softly. There was still a lot of anger and bitterness in her voice, in her eyes. She didn't think she'd ever be able to get past those emotions when it came to the Ancients. "Like I was some kind of puppy or kitten who could finally be taken from a nursing mother."

Reaching out Jacob took Sam's hand and squeezed it. "You're absolutely sure this is true?"

"Yeah Dad." Sam said with a nod. "Janet's run the tests repeatedly in several different labs."

There was an uncertainty in Sam's eyes, in her very posture, which made Hammond ask, "Does it make a difference to you, Jacob?"

Jacob looked over at his best friend with a confused look. "Huh?" He asked in reply. "What the hell are you talking about George?"

"Does it make a difference to you that Sam isn't your biological daughter?" Hammond asked.

There was a flash of anger in Jacob's eyes and if he'd been closer to his best friend, he'd have hit him. "Of course, it doesn't make a difference! She's my kid! What the hell kinda question is that?"

"One she needed answered." George said gently but firmly.

Jacob turned to look at Sam. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear there and he instantly pulled her into his arms again. "Oh Sam. Damnit, you're mine. Nothing and no one can take that away from either of us."

Sam actually found it really comforting to hear Jacob echo the same sentiment Helen had used. She hugged her dad tight, feeling safe in his arms. When he finally let her go, she asked, "How long can you stay?"

"A day, maybe two." Jacob answered honestly. "The only reason I got to come at all is because someone told the council I might be emotionally unstable. They were able to extract me so I could get my head on straight."

"I said emotionally compromised." Hammond huffed.

Jacob gave his friend a familiar goofy grin and shrug of his shoulders. "For some of them they're the same thing when it comes to the Tau'ri."

A day, even two, wouldn't be enough time. Helen couldn't simply drop everything to come all the way back to Colorado Springs. Sam looked disappointed but then again, she didn't even know if Jacob wanted to meet her. How would he feel about Sam wanting to have a relationship, a mother-child relationship, with someone who wasn't Debra? How was she supposed to handle this? It was bad enough having watched the awkwardness between Helen and her Uncle George, how weird would it be between Helen and her Dad?

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off." Hammond said after watching Sam for a moment.

Bright blue eyes blinked once before looking over at Hammond. "Sir?"

"Don't worry Major." He replied with a smile. "No one will touch your project while you're gone. It is your property after all. You two have a lot to talk about. Take the next twenty-four hours."

This was going to take more than a day to sort out, but Sam guessed it was a start. "Thank you, Sir." She looked over at her Dad and said, "Let me get changed and then we'll go?"

Jacob nodded. "I'll meet you at the elevator."

Before going to the locker room to change into street clothes Sam stopped in the infirmary to tell Janet what was happening. Janet did her best to reassure Sam that everything would be all right. She reminded Sam that Jacob loved her and that what he wanted most for her was happiness. He'd come around concerning their relationship after all. He would come around on Sam wanting to have her mother in her life. Janet told her to be honest and talk to her dad about how she felt, and not just about Helen but Debra as well. Sam groaned. If she did that things would get awkward, they didn't talk about Debra, but she promised to at least try.

After changing into her street clothes Sam met up with Jacob and they made their way to her car. Jacob had gotten street clothes from somewhere and she wondered if the General had some stashed for him somewhere. Sam wasn't really sure where to go or what to say so she drove silently until she found herself pulling into the parking lot of an old dinner that they use to go to all the time back when Jacob would visit Sam while she was at the Air Force Academy. It had always been neutral ground, a place where they could just be Sam and her Dad, no ranks.

The place was empty, so they were seated right away. They both ordered coffee and looked over the menu. They ordered, even though Sam wasn't hungry. Ordering food had always been a way to force them to stick around, it kept them from running. A few moments after the waitress left it was Jacob who finally broke the silence. "George says that you look like this woman."

"Helen." Sam said softly. "Her name is Helen Magnus, Dad, and yeah, I do, a lot."

"You look like your mother." Jacob said defensively.

Sam had been taking her phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket when Jacob said that and stopped. Maybe showing him a picture wasn't a good idea after all. Bringing her hand back to the table she added sugar and half and half to her coffee and then stared at it watching the white of the cream blend into the black of the coffee as she stirred it with a spoon. Finally, she looked up and said, "Helen is my mother, Dad."

"Debra Carter is your mother." Jacob said firmly.

"Dad." Sam said with a soft sigh. She set the spoon aside and then took a deep breath. "Mom will always be my Mom. I'm always going to love her, miss her. She raised me, took care of me, loved me. Nothing and no one will change that."

"Glad that's settled than." Jacob replied. "We can put all of this behind us and forget it ever happened."

"I can't do that Dad." Sam shook her head and then looked into her dad's eyes. "I'm not going to miss out on any more time with Helen now that I know who she is." She gave him a soft, careful smile. "I have a younger sister, Dad. Her name is Ashley. And Helen has a foster son, Henry, so I have another brother too. When you're ready I'd like you to meet them."

"Brand new family ready to go." Jacob said. "No baggage, fresh start."

His tone hurt and it showed in Sam's eyes. "I'm still a Carter, Dad."

"Are you?" Jacob asked and then dropped his gaze to the table. "I'm sorry. That was unfair."

"It's ok." Sam said, her voice low and soft to hide the hurt.

Jacob shook his head. "No, it's not alright. I'm scared, Sam. I nearly lost you once after your mother died."

"You're not losing me, Dad." Sam said as she reached across the table and put her hand on his. "You're always going to be my Dad. I'm always going to love you and need you in my life. I'm still your daughter, I'm still Mom's daughter, but now I'm Helen's too."

"And Thomas?" Jacob asked.

Sam looked a little sad as she said, "He broke some really big rules. I doubt I'll ever see him again. But it wouldn't matter if I did because he's not you."

"This is going to take time, Sam." Jacob said as he put his other hand on top of the one Sam had on his other hand.

"I know." Sam said with a soft smile. "It’s not like I'm planning some big family dinner or anything any time soon. Helen and I are still figuring things out, but she's in my life Dad, and I want it that way."

Jacob nodded with a heavy sigh. "Ok kid. If that's what you want. I'll support you."

"Really?" Sam asked with hope in her eyes.

"Really." Jacob confirmed with a warm reassuring smile.

Sam instantly relaxed. "Thanks Dad."

After the waitress dropped off their meals Jacob started cutting into his steak while he said, "So, tell me about this Helen Magnus."

Sam lit up. "Well, she's English and she's a doctor…"

Helen was exhausted and she had a major headache. She'd just gotten back from a mission with Ashley and Kate, who as it turned out made a pretty fine team, when they weren't cat fighting over every little thing. With the Cabal dismantled and the key figures behind what had been done to Ashley eliminated Helen had finally agreed to allow Ashley back into the field but only under her supervision, which she was sure just made matters worse. Ashley could only argue with Helen to a certain point before Helen put her foot down, which left Kate to bear the brunt of the rest of Ashley's annoyance. Kate wasn't anyone’s whipping boy and gave back as good as she got. Leaving Helen pushing her self-control to the very limit just to keep herself from smacking them both.

Some of Helen's fatigue and frustration melted away as she sank into her desk chair. There were several new pictures on the table behind her desk, pictures of Samantha, and they brought a smile to her face. She wished she could have seen the look on Sam's face when she received her gift. The email Sam had sent had the words thank you in it so many times that Helen had laughed out loud as she read it. Looking at the picture of Sam and Ashley astride Sam's classic bikes in the driveway of the home she shared with Janet, Helen found herself wishing she knew where her father was so she could tell him about Sam. He'd been so delighted over Ashley after Helen had removed the Cabal's control bug and brought him back to himself. Helen knew he'd be just as thrilled by Samantha.

"Thinking about Sam?" Will asked as he walked up to Helen's desk.

The dark-haired woman turned towards him and smiled. "Sort of. I was actually thinking about my father."

"Going to start looking for him again?" Will asked.

Helen looked torn. "No." She said with a soft sigh. "He said he'd contact me. I just wish I could tell him about Samantha." She gave her young friend a warm smile and then to keep him from asking more personal questions she asked, "How were things while we were gone?"

"All quiet on the home front." Will reported. "I stopped by intake. Looks like you guys were successful."

Helen nodded. "A few bumps along the way but we managed."

Will smirked he couldn't help it. "How badly did you want to kill them?"

"Kill, not once." Helen replied. "Beat, several times."

Will laughed. "I warned you."

Helen had a few plans she needed to set into motion so she and Will talked about work for a while. She would need to set something up soon to get him out of town for a couple of days, so she let him know that something might be coming up. She would also need to send Ashley away as well. That would be harder because she'd been understandably clingingly when it came to her daughter. The Cabal was no longer a threat. Their power base was gone, and her people were hunting down and putting out any remaining factions. Dana Whitcomb was dead, as was the scientist who'd used the source blood to turn Ashley into the super abnormal. He hadn't come right and told her, but Helen had seen it in John's eyes. He had made them pay for hurting their little girl, and a part of Helen felt ashamed for being pleased he'd done so. Yes she had Ashley back, alive and well and just as she was before Whitcomb got a hold of her, but when she closed her eyes she could still see Ashley dying, combusting as she teleported into the EM field. That image and the memory leading up to it would haunt Helen always.

The sound of an incoming video call pulled Helen out of her dark thoughts. Pulling her laced fingers away from bridge of her nose where she'd been leaning her head against her hands, she reached for the keyboard without really thinking. She connected the call and instantly brightened. Sam's face filled the screen and Helen smiled. The weight she had felt just a moment before melted away and she relaxed easily into her chair. "Hello my darling."

"Hi Helen." Sam said with a warm smile. She'd seen the change in Helen, the shift in her features and posture, and it made her wonder what was going on and if everything was ok. "I'm not calling at a bad time, am I?"

"Of course, not sweetheart." Helen reassured. "You can call me whenever you want to, even if it's just to say hi."

Sam smiled at that and relaxed a little. "I actually wanted to say more than hi. I wanted to thank you for the new toy in my lab."

Helen laughed softly. "You did that in your email, darling. About fifty times in fact."

The younger woman blushed and ducked her head as she said, "Yeah, well, something like that kind of deserved a phone call at least."

There was that warm sincerity that reminded Helen of her mother again. "So, you had no issues with finding a place to set it up? And your superiors understand that it was a personal gift for you and not to the Air Force?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, they know it's on loan from me. General Hammond was more than willing to give me the extra lab space since Janet wouldn't let me put it in the garage."

Helen laughed. "I know you enjoy restoring motorbikes and cars, Samantha, but wouldn't that have been like using a sledgehammer to tap a nail into a wall?"

Now it was Sam who laughed. "That's kind of what Janet said."

They chatted a little more and as they did Helen thought she sensed something just a little off with Sam. She was still learning to read her eldest daughter, so she wasn't entirely sure, but something made her ask, "Samantha, darling is everything alright?"

Sam went a little stiff. She hadn't planned on saying anything but then again, her desire to see and speak with Helen hadn't just been to thank her again. Sam sighed softly. "My Dad was finally able to come see me."

"Oh." Helen said softly. "Did things not go well?"

"Well," Sam replied as she rubbed the back of her neck. "They didn't go badly so to speak."

Helen watched Sam for a moment and then said, "He refuses to believe the truth?"

"No, he believes it." Sam sighed. "He refuses to accept it."

"I'm sorry Samantha." Helen wished she could reach out to touch Sam, to put her hand on hers, to brush at the hair near her ear, so she could offer some sort of comfort.

"We're all still adjusting." Sam said with a shake of her head. "We've had some time, not much, but more than him. He just takes a while is all. I mean he's still struggling with the whole me and Janet thing, so yeah, it's just going to take time."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Helen offered. "Would you like me to speak to him?"

"Not yet." Sam said with a shake of her head. "I don't want to risk him saying something that might hurt you."

Helen raised an eyebrow at that. Sam was so fiercely protective of those she cared about, and it felt good to know she seemed to be one of those people now, but she was the mother and Samantha the child. It should be her protecting Sam, caring for Sam's needs, watching out for, and doing what was best for her daughter. "I have a pretty thick skin, Samantha."

"I know." Sam replied. She was quiet for a moment and then said, "I just kind of want things to go well when you meet."

Helen understood. "You want your parents to like each other."

Sam gave a sheepish nod of her head. "Yeah."

"Well, when you're ready to have us meet I'll be there." Helen promised. "Samantha," She waited until Sam was looking right at her before she said, "I'll always be there, darling."


	10. Chapter 10

Saving the Earth from aliens and monsters was more than a full time job and it didn't always leave a lot of time for anything else, but over the past year Sam and Helen did their best to find time for each other. They had grown closer and for the first time since she was twelve Sam felt like she had a mother. Which is why when she returned from an off-world mission to the news that something had happened to Helen, that a huge mission of her own had taken some wrong turns, Sam had to see her. Helen was on her way home from India, so Sam went to Old City to wait for her. She had her own security code and key, so she let herself in to her mother's cathedral home and dropped her bags at the door. She called out to see who was around and smiled when the Big Guy came lumbering down the hall.

Biggie was happy to see her and did his best to reassure Sam that Helen and the others were just fine. When she asked for details on what happen he told her, and she felt a mix of fear and anger. Apparently, the Sanctuary wasn't immune to having its share of dirtbags. Biggie smiled at the look on her face and then put a huge hand on her shoulder as he reassured her that Helen Magnus could handle a dirtbag or two without breaking a sweat or mussing her hair.

Sam smiled and relaxed a little knowing Biggie was right. "How does she manage to kick ass and still look flawless? I haven't figured that part out yet."

"Years and years and years of practice." The Big Guy replied. "She also hides makeup bags everywhere."

Sam couldn't help but laugh and laugh hard at her mother's little secret. Wither it was true or just Biggie trying to lighten her mood, Sam wasn’t sure, and she didn’t care. The thought amused her so she went with it. 

After settling into her room and calling Janet to check in, Sam made herself comfortable in Helen's study knowing it would be the first place Helen would go once she returned. Biggie brought her coffee and blue jello, which made her smile. "She's going to complain about the smell."

"She'll get over it." Biggie replied with a grunt.

Curling up on the end of the sofa nearest the fire Sam thought about the past year and everything that had happened since finding out the truth about her birth. She took comfort in the easy moments she spent with her new family and she took strength from the harder moments, like introducing Helen and Jacob.

Helen had never placed any blame on the Carters for what happened, but she couldn't help but feel envious of Jacob. He had gotten to watch her daughter grow up. He had gotten to experience the milestones and the life moments Helen would never have. Jacob had still been leery of this woman he felt insecure about. He'd been afraid Helen would in some way take Sam from him. Sam had spent that first meeting carefully reassuring and supporting her parents while Janet reassured and supported her. The second meeting between Helen and Jacob had gone much better since they'd both agreed to try for Sam's sake. With both of her parents comfortable with the role they each played in her life Sam was able to finally sit down and figure some things out for herself. Like figuring out how Samantha Magnus fit to make Samantha Carter a whole and happy person.

Helen was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to slip into her bed and stay there for a full day, but she knew that before she could do that she had to deal with some lingering issues. She needed to run some tests on Will to make sure he was all right following his experiences in India. There would be fallout to deal with over Bertha and Terrence. There were still so many lingering questions about the counter wave, and she had no idea where to even start looking for the answers. Helen sighed a heavy weight of the world sigh as she stepped into her office and was greeted instantly by the smell of strong coffee. It was like a hit to the face and she frowned deeply. She was about to yell for her old friend to ask why the bloody hell her private study smelled like a bloody Starbucks when she caught sight of the blonde hair and bright eyes. "Samantha?"

"Hi." Sam said as she pushed to her feet. She smiled at her mother; it was warm, happy, and a little sheepish because she'd caught the look on Helen's face when she caught the scent of coffee in the air.

There was an instant smile on Helen's face as she made her way over to Sam. "Well this is a wonderful surprise."

"Are you alright?" Sam asked as she took her mother in looking for any sign of injury or pain. "I was off world when Ashley called. I came as soon as I could."

"I'm fine, darling." Helen said as she hugged Sam to reassure her.

"They thought you were dead." Sam replied, the slightest bit of a quiver in her voice.

Helen was one of two, perhaps three, people who would have noticed that quiver and hugged Sam a little tighter in response. "It will take more than a helicopter crash to do me in."

Knowing firsthand that Helen was all right allowed Sam to relax. When she pulled away from the hug, she was able to ask about Will and the Sanctuary. Will would be fine, Helen reassured, and the Sanctuary would be sorted out shortly. Terrance wasn't the first to try a power play against her and he wouldn't be the last. Sam made a mental note to find Ashley and Henry later to make sure they were ok, and to get the details Helen was leaving out. It couldn't have been easy on them to be locked up by the idiot trying to start a coup against Helen, and she knew they'd be more forthcoming so they could work out a couple of back up plans in case anything like this happened again.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Helen asked after watching Sam closely for a few moments after taking seats together on the sofa. She'd gotten to know her daughter well over the last year and sometimes it was almost easy to forget the thirty plus lost years, while at other times it was all Helen could think about. She could drive herself mad with the what ifs if she weren't careful, so she tried really hard to always be in the present when it came to Sam. They had lost the past, there was nothing they could do about that, but they had the here and now and the future together.

Sam smiled a soft almost shy smile before she began to explain. "The incident a few months ago during your little secret sting op."

Helen smiled in that way that only a mother can smile when she said, "The incident? You mean the incident that involved you breaking Declan's nose?"

The slightly scolding but still playful tone her mother used made Sam blush. "Yeah that." She admitted. When Helen had faked insanity in order to trap a dirty Sanctuary agent, Will had become convinced that Declan Macrae was making a power play against Helen. He'd called Ashley back from the mission Helen had sent her on, and in turn when things started getting ugly Ashley had called her. When Declan started talking about taking Helen to an undisclosed secure location against the wishes of her daughters, Sam stepped in. Declan managed to hit all of Sam's sore spots when he basically told her she had no say when it came to Helen and let her know she was an outsider. Sam was throwing the punch before she realized what was happening. "It started me thinking."

"About?" Helen asked gently. They had just started to find their footing when Declan had erroneously shaken the newly built and yet unsettled foundation of Helen's relationship with Samantha. He'd felt bad afterwards but continued to insist he'd acted in the best interests of the Sanctuary. Sam and Ashley still felt strongly that they should have been able to act in the best interests of their mother. It was just the conflict Helen had been hoping to avoid by sending Ashley on a mission. The silver lining to the whole thing had been Ashley reaching out to her sister and Sam being there when she needed her.

"Feeling secure in the new framework of my life." Sam replied. "And being able to count on having my connections to people respected." While Sam reached for an envelope she'd had tucked behind her she could tell Helen was about to say something and she had a pretty good idea that it was something comforting, but she stopped her with a shake of her head. "The work I do is dangerous and unpredictable. I've taken steps to make sure Janet's place in my life is respected. I need to know that yours will be as well. So," She handed Helen the envelope. "I found this, and I've made it an official part of my record."

Helen opened the brown envelope and slid out the sheet of paper it held. The moment she realized what it was her breath got caught in her lungs. She read it over, her finger lightly running over the carefully printed name Samantha Elizabeth Magnus. Her gaze lingered on Sam's birth name before dropping to where it read, Mother's Name: Helen Elizabeth Magnus. When she finally looked at Sam she asked, "How?"

"It wasn't easy, mainly because it isn't American, but I guess when Thomas restored the truth it covered paperwork as well." Sam replied.

When Helen smiled it made the gathering tears in her eyes pool in the corners near her temples. "Of course, it isn't American. I was adamant about you, and later Ashley, being born in England. You were born in the very room I myself was born; in the home I grew up in. As was Ashley." Helen returned her gaze to the document in her hand. She indulged in the memories of Sam's birth and the days that followed. She remembered Thomas and James and how they had doted on her in the days leading up to Samantha's birth, and after, and how it had driven her mad. James had been in awe of both of her daughters, had cherished them, and when it was time for them to return to Old City how sad he'd been to see them go. If only her dear James could be here now to see her beautiful Samantha once more.

Sam gave Helen a few moments and when she saw the flicker of sadness in her mother's eyes, she distracted her from her memories by saying, "We have the same middle name."

Helen smiled softly. "We do. Both your father and your godfather absolutely cringed at Gregoria, after my father. Patricia, after my mother, didn't sound quiet right with Samantha. Thomas rather liked the sound of Elizabeth, so I agreed to that despite thinking it seemed a bit vain."

"My godfather?" Sam asked. Her mind had gone right to George Hammond, but she knew he had been Jacob's choice.

"James." Helen answered.

Sam had heard Helen and Ashley speak of James Watson often and found herself wishing she'd gotten to know him. They obviously loved him dearly and he sounded like a wonderful man.

"I suppose it was a small mercy they allowed you to keep the names I gave you." Helen said after several moments of silence. Her voice was laced with a hint of bitterness as she read over Sam's birth certificate once more. It hurt to see the space where Thomas' name should be was left blank. He must have removed himself in order to keep Samantha safe, but from whom? His people or their enemy, the one Samantha was meant to fight, the reason her daughter was taken from her? "Well most of the names I gave you."

"I may not use Magnus but that doesn't mean that isn't who I am." Sam said gently. "Magnus by birth Carter through adoption, at least that's what my official standing is as far as the paperwork of life goes."

Helen looked up at Sam; she looked into her daughter's eyes until understanding hit. Samantha was making sure she had ties to all of her parents, she was publicly acknowledging that she was the daughter of Helen Magnus as well as Jacob and Debra Carter and she wanted that acknowledged and respected by everyone else. Helen had taken simulator legal actions to ensure Sam's inclusion into the Magnus legacy. "I understand the sentiment, Samantha, and it means a lot to me that you've done this." She smiled as she took Sam's hand and then added, "But paperwork wasn't necessary to prove our connection, love. If I found myself in a position where I needed to act as your mother, no force on Earth or off could keep me from doing so."

"I know." Sam returned the soft smile. "I'm the one who needed the official record just for my own sense of security. I'm guessing you'd rather I wave a legal document in someone's face over punching them in the nose."

Helen laughed. "Yes, I would very much like it if you'd stop decking my employees."

"Good thing for Terrence I was off world." Sam huffed.

"Good thing for Terrence I didn't allow Ashley to drop him off the side of the ship." Helen added.

There was a knock on the door that brought a pause to the conversation. Before Helen could respond the door opened and Declan stepped in. Sam went ridged but managed not to glare at him.

Declan stared at Sam uncomfortably for a moment before looking at Helen. "I'm sorry Magnus I didn't know you were with someone." He nodded at Sam. "Major Carter."

"Mr. Macrae." Sam replied in a cold professional tone. She said his name the way she said the names Simmons, Kinsey, and McKay. 

Helen rolled her eyes. "You two are really going to need to get over it." Looking over at Declan she asked, "Is there something you needed?"

"Will is waiting for you in the infirmary." Declan answered. "And I'd really like to start talking about…"

"Not now." Helen said, holding up her hand and cutting him off. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was Sanctuary politics. "I should however see to Will." Turning to Sam she asked, "Do I get to have my daughter around for a few days?"

Sam nodded. "There were injuries on this last mission so the team's inactive until Janet clears everyone for duty."

"Are you alright?" Helen asked, her gaze suddenly becoming that of a doctor looking for any possible injuries.

"I'm fine." Sam answered. "Daniel and Colonel O'Neill were the ones who got all banged up."

Helen instantly relaxed. "Well I'm sorry to hear about your teammates," She said as she stood. Leaning in Helen placed a kiss to the crown of Sam's head and smiled. "But I'm glad you're alright and I'm happy you're here my darling."

Sam smiled. Helen's simple gesture sent a feeling of warmth and peace through her that she hadn't felt since she was a little girl. Back in that hotel room in Morocco Sam couldn't have even guessed that this is how her life would change. She had a mother again, and a sister, a new brother, and a whole new world to explore if she ever got tired of exploring other worlds. She had people to love and people who loved her, and that was huge for Sam. Debra's death, Jacob's distance, and Mark's anger had left her alone for so long. Somehow Janet had managed to find her, to get past her walls, and because of her Sam had been a bit more willing to embrace the sudden truth of who she was and who Helen was to her. And it was time Sam finally acknowledged that.

Just as Helen was getting to the door Sam shot to her feet, turned towards her, and said, "Mom."

Helen stopped in her tracks. It was the first time since they'd found out about her being Sam's mother that Sam had called her that. In all her many years of life this past year had easily been one of the most emotionally turbulent. The Cabal attack, Ashley's kidnapping and death, the revelation that she'd had a child she didn't remember, Samantha's return to her, Ashley's return to her, building and rebuilding her relationships with her daughters. There had been times when Helen felt it was almost too much, but hearing Samantha say that one little word, hearing the affection and love in that single syllable made everything she'd gone through worth it.

Helen's heart swelled as she turned to look at her daughter with bright happy eyes. "Yes darling?"

"Nothing." Sam said with a bright cheeky smile. "I just wanted to say it."

Everything about Helen lit up. "I love you, Samantha."

Sam smiled. "I love you too, Mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks, but don't worry. Sam and Helen's adventures continue on in 'Snapshots and Snippets.' 
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and a special thank you to those who left comments. Comments true are the food of fanfic writers everywhere. 💖
> 
> ~Reese


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